The Warren Central Warriors will head out to square off against Irvington Preparatory Academy at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Warren Central took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Pike, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Warriors narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Red Devils 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Warriors have posted since May 1, 2024.
Dylan Thompson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 12 Ks.
On the hitting side, Warren Central's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Anthony Dennison, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Irvington Preparatory Academy had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Jets with a sharp 19-2 victory. The result was nothing new for Irvington Preparatory Academy, who have now won five matches by ten runs or more so far this season.
Cortez Jenkins made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, three stolen bases, and four runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Jordan White and Owen Kriech did most of the damage at the plate: White got on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and three runs, while Kriech went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs White has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Corbyn Eaton, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Irvington Preparatory Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .571 or higher in four consecutive contests.
Irvington Preparatory Academy pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Warren Central, their win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-7-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Warren Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Irvington Preparatory Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Warren Central took their victory against Irvington Preparatory Academy in their previous matchup back in April of 2018 by a conclusive 16-0 score. Do the Warriors have another victory up their sleeve, or will Irvington Preparatory Academy turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
