The Champlin Park Rebels will face off against the Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Champlin Park 3.1, Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Things were looking good for Champlin Park 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 East Grand Forks by a score of 4-2.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Richfield on Friday. With that win, the Pirates brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Nolan Schneider made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Schneider was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other pitching news, Cooper Peterson looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
Back at the plate, Beau Bratsch was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Will Courchane, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Champlin Park, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.
Everything went Champlin Park's way against Park Center/Columbia Heights/Maranatha in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Champlin Park made off with an 8-0 victory. Will the Rebels repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
