The Whitney Young Dolphins will head out to challenge the Taft Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Whitney Young has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Taft will arrive with four straight victories.
St. Patrick hit Whitney Young with a five-run third inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Dolphins came up short against the Shamrocks, falling 10-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Dolphins have suffered since April 4th.
Whitney Young saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Theo Kimmeth, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.
Taft came out on top against Ogden International on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Eagles put the hurt on Ogden International with a sharp 11-1 win. The Eagles not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 13th (when they won 12-1).
Jason Colon looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Ethan Acosta and Andrew Korolis did most of the damage at the plate: Acosta went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Korolis went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double. Korolis has become a key player for Taft: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 5-9 otherwise. Zackary Turrentine also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Taft was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ogden International only posted a batting average of .000.
Taft's record now sits at 8-9. As for Whitney Young, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Whitney Young has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Taft struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Whitney Young couldn't quite get it done against Taft when the teams last played on Wednesday as they fell 4-0. Can the Dolphins avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
