The Rocori Spartans will venture away from home to square off against the Becker Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Saturday, Rocori needed a bit of extra time to put away St. Thomas Academy. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Cadets, sneaking past 9-7. The victory was nothing new for the Spartans as they're now sitting on five straight.
Reece Kalla looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jake Stalboerger, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one triple, one run, and one RBI. Zander Folkerts also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Becker hadn't done well against Foley recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Bulldogs had just enough and edged out the Falcons 6-4. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Isaac Guck made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Guck was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Becker let Isaac Daluge and Hunter Pietrowski run wild. Daluge went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Pietrowski got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Those two stolen bases gave Pietrowski a new career-high. Riley Girard was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Becker pushed their record up to 7-5 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Rocori, their record now sits at 6-2.
Both Rocori and Becker just can't seem to miss. The Spartans have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Becker struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.4 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
