vs
| 06/01/24 - Neutral | 6-5 W |
| 05/25/24 - Neutral | 2-0 W |
| 05/01/24 - Away | 6-1 W |
| 06/04/23 - Neutral | 13-3 W |
| 04/21/23 - Home | 9-7 W |
| + 5 more games |
Eaton has gone a perfect 10-0 against University recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Reds will be playing at home against the Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Eaton 3.4, University 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Eaton fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Sterling on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 9-8. The Reds' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Jackson Denooy made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. That stolen base marked the first that he snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Malaki Dalpra, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, University had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They blew past the Beetdiggers 11-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Bulldogs have posted against the Beetdiggers since April 20, 2019.
Gage Viken spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kaden Turk, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Will Korby, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
University always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .516 or higher in three consecutive matches.
University pushed their record up to 11-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Eaton, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 10-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Eaton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Eaton skirted past University 6-5 when the teams last played back in June of 2024. Do the Reds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
