The Wakefield Wolverines are taking a road trip to face off against the Heritage Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Heritage took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Wakefield, who comes in off a win.
Wakefield had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt Wake Prep Academy on Wednesday. The Wolverines blew past the Guardians 12-1. The Wolverines might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.
Blake Waltman looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Mikey Katz, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Channing Parker also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Wakefield always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Heritage suffered their biggest loss since March 18th on Tuesday. They lost 8-1 to Wake Forest. The Huskies have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Cameron Small was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Heritage's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 7-9 when he doesn't). Small was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Heritage got a good showing from Kanen Pritchard, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Wakefield is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Heritage, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wakefield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Wakefield came out on top in a nail-biter against Heritage in their previous meeting on Monday, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wolverines since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
