The Holly Grove Christian Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the Greenwood Mennonite Flames at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Holly Grove Christian has given up an average of 9.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Holly Grove Christian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs last Wednesday, they were much more limited against Salisbury Christian on Wednesday. They lost 12-1 to Salisbury Christian.
Holly Grove Christian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nathan Hamilton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run. Andrew Zink also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Greenwood Mennonite beat Tome 11-7 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Flames.
Trenton Tempel (HS) was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Tempel (HS) was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double. Greenwood Mennonite is 4-1 when Tempel (HS) posts two or more runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, Greenwood Mennonite let James Adams and John Kent run wild. Adams went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double, while Kent went 1-for-5 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Nate Zdobysz (HS), who went 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run.
Greenwood Mennonite kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Greenwood Mennonite pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Holly Grove Christian, they now have a losing record of 4-5.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Holly Grove Christian has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Greenwood Mennonite struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Holly Grove Christian skirted past Greenwood Mennonite 3-2 when the teams last played back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
