The North County Raiders will take on the St. Louis HomeSchool P Patriots at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. North County's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so St. Louis HomeSchool P's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
North County's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Hillsboro hitters got past them. North County lost 13-3 to Hillsboro on Tuesday. The Raiders have struggled against the Hawks recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
Connor Helms was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Tyler Pipkin also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when St. Louis HomeSchool P and Priory meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. St. Louis HomeSchool P was the clear victor by an 11-4 margin over Priory. The Patriots' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Samuel Hart tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because St. Louis HomeSchool P is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 1-4 otherwise.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Vinny Tornatore, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Will Schark, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI and one double.
St. Louis HomeSchool P kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
North County's defeat dropped their record down to 2-2. As for St. Louis HomeSchool P, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
North County was able to grind out a solid win over St. Louis HomeSchool P when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 20-16. Does North County have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Louis HomeSchool P turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.