The Prairie Pirates will head out to take on the Troy Trojans at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Prairie has given up an average of 10.7 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Prairie's last matchup with Kendrick could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's contest on Thursday. The Pirates lost 17-3 to the Tigers. The Pirates have struggled against the Tigers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Meanwhile, Troy entered their tilt with Genesee on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 23-0 win. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 9, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Javan Barton was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Barton was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Makhi Durrett was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Wade Moser was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Troy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matches.
Troy pushed their record up to 4-2 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Prairie, their loss dropped their record down to 2-4.
Prairie might still be hurting after the 17-7 defeat they got from Troy in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
