The Homestead Spartans will take on the Manchester Squires in a tournament on Saturday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Homestead's win against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Spartans narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Knights 4-2. The win continues a trend for the Spartans in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won nine in a row.
Maddy Rodgers was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 matchups. Another player making a difference was Maddy Burbrink, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Manchester had just enough and edged out Lewis Cass 3-2 on Thursday.
Molly Schannep spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Manchester's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Hadley West, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Homestead pushed their record up to 17-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Manchester, the win got them back to even at 11-11.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Homestead hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Homestead's way against Manchester in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, as Homestead made off with an 11-0 victory. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Squires have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
