The James Monroe Mavericks will square off against the Wyoming East Warriors at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. James Monroe will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
On Monday, James Monroe needed a bit of extra time to put away WestSide. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Renegades 6-5.
Kadyn Hines made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.
Hines wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brycen Parker, who went 1-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Carson Koen was another, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs.
Meanwhile, Wyoming East hadn't done well against Bluefield recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Warriors put the hurt on the Beavers with a sharp 16-4 victory. The Warriors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Like James Monroe, Wyoming East also got a great game from a two-way player: Jarrod Phillips. On the mound, Phillips struck out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Miken Smyth pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those nine strikeouts gave Phillips a new career-high. At bat, Phillips went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI, while Smyth went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Owen Biggs, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since April 5th. Another player making a difference was Gaige Cooper, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Wyoming East kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive contests.
Wyoming East is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That somehow still isn't as good as their 16-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for James Monroe, they pushed their record up to 13-10 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. James Monroe has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wyoming East struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
James Monroe came up short against Wyoming East when the teams last played on April 1st, falling 4-0. Will the Mavericks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
