The Dixon Dukes & Duchesses will venture away from home to face off against the Dunlap Eagles at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Dixon has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with ten straight defeats, while Dunlap will come in with eight straight wins.
Things were looking good for Dixon after they put the first run on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Sterling by a score of 3-2.
Daniel Fordham was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 6.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April.
On the hitting side, Dixon saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jake Whelan, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
Dunlap came out on top against Metamora on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run first inning. The Eagles had just enough and edged out the Redbirds 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Eagles have posted since April 16th.
Carter Lippens looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Christian Ferrari was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryder Rennette, who got on base in both of his plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Dunlap pushed their record up to 25-7 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Dixon, their loss dropped their record down to 12-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Dixon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Dunlap struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
