Hazelwood Central has gone 8-0-1 against Riverview Gardens recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Hawks are taking a road trip to take on the Rams at 4:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hazelwood Central has three straight victories, Riverview Gardens has ten straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Hazelwood Central will bounce into Monday's match after beating McCluer North, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Hawks put the hurt on the Stars with a sharp 10-3 win on Thursday. Considering the Hawks have won five games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Jace Dickson
| 04/07/25 @ Hazelwood East | 6 |
| 03/25/25 vs Riverview Gardens | 5 |
| 04/17/25 vs McCluer North | 4 |
| 04/09/25 vs Normandy | 3 |
| 04/11/25 @ McCluer | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Mekhi Maclin and Jace Dickson were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Maclin tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Dickson kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up a single hit in six consecutive appearances. At bat, Maclin went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two doubles, while Dickson went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. Dickson has become a key player for Hazelwood Central: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 1-2 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julius Reed, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged two or more in each of the last four games he's played.
Meanwhile, Riverview Gardens scored first but ultimately less than STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley in their contest on Friday. They came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 17-2.
Hazelwood Central pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Riverview Gardens, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.
Riverview Gardens' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hazelwood Central has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .507. It's a different story for Riverview Gardens, though, as they've only averaged .345. Will they be able to contain Hazelwood Central's hitters?
Hazelwood Central took their victory against Riverview Gardens when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
