Fort Vancouver is 0-3 against La Center since March of 2019 but things could change on Thursday. The Trappers will square off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Fort Vancouver is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Fort Vancouver is headed into Thursday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their ninth straight game on Wednesday. They fell 10-5 to Evergreen.
Billy Freeman and Lincoln Freeman did some serious damage despite the final result: Billy went 2-for-3 with three runs, while Lincoln went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Meanwhile, La Center entered their tilt with Fort Vancouver on Tuesday with 14 consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with 15. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Trappers an 11-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Wildcats, who have now won 11 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Gunnar Schockelt and Jakob Thomas were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Schockelt didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Thomas tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Schockelt has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances. At the plate, Schockelt got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple and one run, while Thomas went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs Thomas has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Wyatt Brannan was excellent, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Will Anderson, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
La Center pushed their record up to 18-3 with the win, which was their 15th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Fort Vancouver, their loss dropped their record down to 5-14.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Fort Vancouver has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like La Center struggles in that department as they've averaged .492. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fort Vancouver suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to La Center in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Can the Trappers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
