Winchester Thurston are taking a road trip to square off against the Freedom Area Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Winchester Thurston knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully Freedom Area likes a good challenge.
Last Tuesday, Winchester Thurston made easy work of Aquinas Academy and carried off a 10-3 victory. Winchester Thurston hasn't had any issues with Aquinas Academy recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Sam Tarr and Mason Witten made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Tarr tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Witten struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Tarr has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. At the plate, Tarr scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Witten scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Benji Smuckler
| 04/01/25 vs Aquinas Academy | 1 |
| 03/31/25 @ Aquinas Academy | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ St. Joseph | 1 |
In other batting news, Benji Smuckler was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lucas Picher, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Winchester Thurston always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .529 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Freedom Area fell victim to New Brighton and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 10-0 to the Lions. The Bulldogs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Freedom Area's loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 3-3. As for Winchester Thurston, their record now sits at 6-1.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Winchester Thurston has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .526. However, it's not like Freedom Area struggles in that department as they've averaged .468. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
