Fitzgerald and New Haven are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2021, but likely not for long. The Spartans will head out on the road to face off against the Rockets at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Fitzgerald turned things around against Sterling Heights on Wednesday. They walked away with a 10-5 victory over the Stallions. The game was the first time the Spartans have beaten the Stallions on their field since April 7, 2015.
Thomas Baranski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and four unearned) runs on four hits and racked up 16 Ks. Fitzgerald is 3-1 when Baranski posts eight or more strikeouts, but 4-5 otherwise.
Dylan Bush
| 04/30/25 @ Sterling Heights | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ Clawson | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Center Line | 2 |
| 04/18/25 @ Clintondale | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Madison | 2 |
At the plate, Leiland McCallep and Dylan Bush did most of the damage at the plate: McCallep got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI, while Bush went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three stolen bases gave Bush a new career-high. David Nelson also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, New Haven got the win against Center Line on Wednesday by a conclusive 10-2. The Rockets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Eddie Knuckey tossed a big game, striking out 11 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Lamar Pearson was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Kaden Gilbert, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
The win made it two in a row for New Haven and bumps their season record up to 7-5. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Fitzgerald, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Fitzgerald suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to New Haven in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
