The Ayden - Grifton Chargers are taking a road trip to face off against the Princeton Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Ayden - Grifton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
Last Thursday, Ayden - Grifton beat SouthWest Edgecombe 7-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Chargers.
The team relied heavily on Davis Brinson, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March. John Fields also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Princeton got themselves on the board against Spring Creek on Thursday, but Spring Creek never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Gators with a sharp 12-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Gators: they've now won nine in a row.
Riley Misenis looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Branson Flynn was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Aston Massey, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Princeton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .341 or higher in four consecutive games.
Ayden - Grifton pushed their record up to 13-4 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Princeton, their record is now 11-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ayden - Grifton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Princeton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ayden - Grifton was able to grind out a solid victory over Princeton in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, winning 7-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
