Baseball Game Preview: Wall Hawks vs. Merkel Badgers

For the second straight game, Wall will face off against Merkel. Wall will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against Merkel at 7:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Wall has six straight victories, Merkel has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Last Friday, Wall got the win against Merkel by a conclusive 16-2. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won nine games by ten runs or more so far this season.

Gage Reichenau and Gunnar Dillard were a major factor no matter where they played. Throwing, Reichenau struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Dillard tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in February. At bat, Reichenau went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI, while Dillard scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. That double marked the first that Reichenau hit this season.

In other batting news, Hagyn Barbee was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Garren Wiggins was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.

Wall always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merkel only posted an OBP of .300.

Merkel's defeat dropped their record down to 9-6-1. As for Wall, their win bumped their record up to 12-3.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wall has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Merkel struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.