The Oak Grove Tigers will square off against the Pleasant Grove Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Oak Grove's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matches.
Pleasant Grove's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Tuesday: Oak Grove hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Tigers' pitcher stepped up to hand Tuscaloosa Academy a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 games by six runs or more this season.
Brody Black tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Jay Fuller was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one triple and one run. Kyler Pollastrini was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Oak Grove was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .389 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove lost a heartbreaker to Oneonta when they met back in April of 2016, and they left with a heavy heart again on Saturday. The Spartans lost 17-2 to the Redskins. The loss continues a trend for the Spartans in their meetings with the Redskins: they've now lost three in a row.
Oak Grove pushed their record up to 21-2 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Pleasant Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-12.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Oak Grove has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like Pleasant Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .484. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Oak Grove's way against Pleasant Grove when the teams last played back in March of 2018, as Oak Grove made off with an 11-5 victory. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
