The South Cougars will head out to square off against the Maize Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games South has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Friday, South narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Salina Central 2-1.
Aidan Speilman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Yaden Montanez, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double. That's the most hits he has posted over his last 11 games.
South was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Maize came tearing into Friday's matchup with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Jaguars a 3-0 shutout. Three seems to be a good number for the Eagles as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Quincy Kohen tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Brodie Jarvis was excellent, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Scotty Hadley, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
South's record is now 9-5. As for Maize, their record now sits at 10-3.
Maize's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: South hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Maize, though, as they've only averaged .237. Will they be able to contain South's hitters?
South came up short against Maize in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 10-5. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
