The Tri-Valley Bears will take on Burke Catholic at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Tri-Valley, yet to win a game, are hoping to taste some of the success that has characterized Burke Catholic's (thus far) undefeated season.
Tri-Valley blew Ellenville out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Tuesday Ellenville got their revenge. The Bears fell just short of the Blue Devils by a score of 10-8. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Joseph Douglas was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those RBI marked the first that he has brought in this season. James Kachelreiss was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Burke Catholic). They put the hurt on Port Jervis with a sharp 17-3 win on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for Burke Catholic, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jordan Drucker was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Drucker was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other pitching news, Tim Brogan and Aaron Drucker dominated on the mound. Brogan tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits, while Drucker tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Brogan has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Dylan DeMaro, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brendyn Quinn, who went 1-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI.
Burke Catholic's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Tri-Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tri-Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Burke Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
