The Union County Patriots will square off against the Jac-Cen-Del Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Union County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Union County took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past North Decatur 16-9. Considering the Patriots have won three matchups by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Ezra Hensley
| 04/07/26 vs Richmond | 4 |
| 04/14/26 vs North Decatur | 1 |
Ezra Hensley looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Union County is undefeated when Hensley allows one or fewer hits, but 1-3 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Isaiah Martinez was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Gunner Miller, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs.
Meanwhile, Jac-Cen-Del won against Oldenburg Academy on Saturday with five runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Eagles came out on top against Shawe Memorial by a score of 5-2. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Hilltoppers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Neil Sullivan made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 16 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Those 16 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and one double. That double was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Jac-Cen-Del let Brody Huff and Blake Wagner run wild. Huff went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one stolen base, while Wagner got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Wagner is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Will Meyer also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Jac-Cen-Del's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Union County, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Jac-Cen-Del's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Union County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. It's a different story for Jac-Cen-Del, though, as they've only averaged .309. Will they be able to contain Union County's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
