The Culver Academies Eagles will square off against the Rochester Zebras at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
If Culver Academies beats Rochester with 13 runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Eagles blew past Westville 13-3 on Wednesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Eagles.
Max Grube made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Grube was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ty Rakan and Trey Schumacher did most of the damage at the plate: Rakan went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Schumacher went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits Rakan has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Preston Jessen, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Culver Academies always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Westville only posted an OBP of .320.
Meanwhile, Rochester strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over Pioneer. The Zebras might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by eight runs or more this season.
Like Culver Academies, Rochester also got a great game from a two-way player: Parker Casper. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Casper was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Rochester let Drew Bowers and Brant Beck run wild. Bowers went a perfect 2-for-2 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Beck went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Coleman, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Rochester's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Culver Academies, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Both Culver Academies and Rochester just can't seem to miss. The Eagles have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Rochester struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Culver Academies couldn't quite finish off Rochester when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 8-6. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
