The Platteview Trojans will take on the Malcolm Clippers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Platteview 2.8, Malcolm 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Platteview took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over Beatrice.
Bryson Banks spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Tucker Riha was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Easton Harris, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Malcolm waltzed into their contest on Monday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. Everything went their way against Platte Valley as they made off with a 15-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Clippers, who have now won eight matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Mason Wisnieski, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, three runs, and one double. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high. Justin Wisnieski also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Malcolm was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .455. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Platte Valley only posted a batting average of .263.
Malcolm's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Platteview, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Platteview has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Malcolm struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Platteview came out on top in a nail-biter against Malcolm in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
