Ingraham is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Ballard is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Rams will welcome the Beavers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ingraham 1.8, Ballard 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Last Monday, Ingraham didn't have quite enough to beat Seattle Academy and fell 4-3. The matchup marked the Rams' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Ingraham got a good showing from Blake Stauff, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Stauff has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Landon Miller made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-6 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Brandon Kwon, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-5.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Ballard and O'Dea meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Wednesday. The Beavers never let the Fighting Irish get on the board and left with a 4-0 victory.
Aiden DePaula made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
DePaula wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Fischer Witt, who scored a run while going 1-for-4. Joey Thee also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Having lost for the first time this season, Ingraham fell to 7-1. As for Ballard, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ingraham has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ballard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ingraham suffered a grim 6-0 defeat to Ballard in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Rams have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
