West Side came tearing into Friday's game with 13 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.8 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Viola Longhorns. For West Side, this counts as revenge for the 6-3 defeat Viola walked away with the last time they faced one another back in April of 2023.
Jacob Carlton made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. Carlton has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Carlton was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Carlton wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Channer Smith, who scored a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Brooks Hipp, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases.
West Side pushed their record up to 14-1 with that win, which was their 11th straight at home. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 10.5 runs. As for Viola, their loss dropped their record down to 9-4.
West Side will head out on the road to square off against Concord at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. West Side's pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so Concord's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Viola, they will be playing at home against Shirley at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
