For the second straight game, Hopkins will face off against Kelloggsville. The Vikings will take on the Rockets at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hopkins has three straight wins, Kelloggsville has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Hopkins is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 23-1 margin over Kelloggsville on Wednesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Christian Smigiel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Smigiel was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Kellen Ford was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Landen Dandrow, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-1.
Hopkins was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .545. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .355 or higher in three consecutive games.
Hopkins pushed their record up to 3-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Kelloggsville, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.
Kelloggsville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hopkins hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .391. It's a different story for Kelloggsville, though, as they've only averaged .060. Will they be able to contain Hopkins' hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
