The Silsbee Tigers will be taking part in a tournament against the Huntington Red Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Silsbee sitting on three straight victories and Huntington on ten.
Silsbee saw some tournament action on Thursday. Everything went their way against Tarkington as Silsbee made off with a 12-6 win. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won eight matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Jace Mercer looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Matsyn Morris was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Ryder Blythe, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Huntington never let their opponents score on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 1-0 victory over Warren. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Red Devils have posted since May 10, 2024.
Huntington also got a great performance from Marcus Johnson as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over six innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Caden Carney, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base.
Huntington's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Silsbee, their win bumped their record up to 11-2.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Silsbee has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Huntington struggles in that department as they've averaged .455. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Silsbee's way against Huntington in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, as Silsbee made off with a 7-0 victory. Does Silsbee have another victory up their sleeve, or will Huntington turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
