The Wautoma Hornets will challenge the Ripon Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Wautoma is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Laconia just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell 8-4 to the Spartans.
Wautoma saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brady Abitz, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Ripon fell victim to Kettle Moraine Lutheran and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 20-0 to the Chargers. The Tigers haven't had much luck with the Chargers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Wautoma's defeat dropped their record down to 12-11. As for Ripon, their loss dropped their record down to 6-20.
Wautoma's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Hornets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ripon, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Wautoma continue to outrun the ball?
Wautoma came out on top in a nail-biter against Ripon in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 6-4. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
