The Albany Cougars will take on the Head-Royce Jayhawks at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Albany proved they can win big two weeks ago (they won by six) and last Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past Hercules 5-4. The game snapped a strange streak: the last four times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Jude Hatamiya looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Albany saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Preston McGowen, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. That run was McGowen's first of the season. Another was Mikey Richards, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Head-Royce put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against Athenian. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Jayhawks have posted since March 30, 2024.
Ezra Goldfarb was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Goldfarb was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Head-Royce's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Albany, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Albany has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Head-Royce struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
