vs
| 05/27/24 - Neutral | 12-2 W |
| 05/09/24 - Home | 15-6 W |
| 05/11/23 - Away | 15-4 W |
| 05/25/22 - Neutral | 5-6 L |
| 05/12/22 - Home | 3-2 W |
| + 5 more games |
Washington is 9-1 against Pike Central since May of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Hatchets will head out to square off against the Chargers at 6:00 p.m. The last four games Washington has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
If Washington beats Pike Central with five runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Hatchets beat South Spencer on Tuesday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-4.
The team relied heavily on Zach Frady, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances.
Pike Central came out on top against Tell City on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Chargers took their game against the Marksmen 6-1. Surprisingly, this marked the Chargers' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
JJ Belmore was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, Jiles Mason was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Aaron Johnson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
Pike Central lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Washington is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-8 record this season. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Pike Central, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-8 and their overall record up to 3-12.
Pike Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Washington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Pike Central, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 strikeouts. Will Washington keep running through batters, or will the Chargers buck the trend?
Everything went Washington's way against Pike Central when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Washington made off with a 12-2 win. Will the Hatchets repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
