The Huntington Red Devils will square off against the Silsbee Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Huntington is coming into the game hot, having won their last ten games.
Huntington proved they can win big on Monday (they won by 14) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Warren a 1-0 shutout. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Red Devils have posted since May 10, 2024.
Huntington got a great performance from Marcus Johnson as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over six innings pitched. Johnson has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Caden Carney was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Silsbee had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 12-6 margin over the Longhorns. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won eight matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Jace Mercer looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Matsyn Morris, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Ryder Blythe was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Huntington's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-1. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Silsbee, their record is now 11-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Huntington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Silsbee struggles in that department as they've averaged .434. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Huntington might still be hurting after the 7-0 loss they got from Silsbee in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. Can Huntington avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
