The East Bay Indians will take on the Hillsborough Terriers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. East Bay is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Last Thursday, it was close, but East Bay sidestepped Freedom for an 8-6 victory.
Mike Mowell looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Jonathan Bryant was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Connor Gavigan was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Hillsborough had no trouble coming through when it counted. They came out on top against Freedom by a score of 6-3 on Monday.
Adriano Parral spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 11 Ks. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Hillsborough is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 4-17 otherwise.
At the plate, Hillsborough's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Oswald Font, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Another was Evan Isaac, who scored a run while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
East Bay's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Hillsborough, their victory bumped their record up to 7-17.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. East Bay has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hillsborough struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went East Bay's way against Hillsborough in their previous meeting back in February, as East Bay made off with a 16-3 win. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Terriers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
