The Union City Bears are taking a road trip to face off against the Seneca Bobcats at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Union City had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Jamestown on Wednesday. The Bears put the hurt on the Muskies with a sharp 11-2 win. The game marked the Bears' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Joey Zahner spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. Those 12 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
At the plate, Cooper Fox was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with three runs and one double. Blake Turner also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Union City was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .410. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Seneca). Everything went their way against Eisenhower on Wednesday as they made off with a 15-3 win.
Greg Rupp and Kendall Yosten did most of the damage at the plate: Rupp went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI, while Yosten went 3-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Yosten is becoming a predictor of Seneca's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is 2-1 (and 0-8 when he doesn't). Michael Peterson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
The victory was the third in a row for Union City, bringing their record up to 3-2. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Seneca, their record is now 2-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Union City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Seneca struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Union City took their victory against Seneca in their previous meeting back in April of 2021 by a conclusive 16-6 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
