Saint James hasn't had much luck against Flint Hill recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Saints will host the Huskies at 11:00 a.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Thursday, Saint James was able to grind out a solid victory over Berkeley Springs, taking the game 6-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Saints.
Jaxson Bell made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, John (Jack) Regan was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. James Reinhardt was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Flint Hill waltzed into their match on Thursday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They blew past the Frogs 15-3. Considering the Huskies have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Jackson Speer tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Aidan Ryan was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Vincenzo Fiorino, who went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Flint Hill always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .622. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Maret only posted an OBP of .417.
Flint Hill's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Saint James, their win bumped their record up to 3-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Saint James has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Flint Hill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 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.
