vs
| 05/02/24 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 04/02/24 - Away | 13-8 W |
| 05/04/23 - Neutral | 20-1 W |
| 04/04/23 - Home | 15-1 W |
| 04/05/22 - Away | 13-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Beatrice is 9-1 against Crete since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Orangemen will welcome the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Beatrice gave up the first runs on Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over Blair.
Kale Koch was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Koch wasn't the only one making solid contact: Beatrice kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The Orangemen are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Crete hadn't done well against Wahoo/Bishop Neumann recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Cardinals narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Warriors 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cardinals have posted since April 24, 2024.
The team relied heavily on Brooks Piening, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. He has become a key player for Crete: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-6 otherwise.
Beatrice's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Crete, their victory bumped their record up to 8-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Beatrice has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Crete struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Beatrice came out on top in a nail-biter against Crete when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. Will the Orangemen repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
