The Strasburg Indians will take on the Bennett Tigers at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Strasburg is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.
On Thursday, Strasburg didn't have quite enough to beat Fort Morgan and fell 5-4.
Jose Lopez made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. That double was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Erik Alamillo, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Bennett put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Arrupe Jesuit. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over the Generals. Considering the Tigers have won six matchups by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Brody Hawes made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Bennett is undefeated when Hawes allows three or fewer hits, but 6-8 otherwise. Hawes was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Dane Ortiz, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Bennett: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-8 otherwise. Brayden Werner was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Bennett hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 3-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Bennett pushed their record up to 9-8 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Strasburg, their loss dropped their record down to 5-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Strasburg has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bennett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Strasburg took their win against Bennett in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-6 score. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
