The Eastern Mennonite Flames will face off against the Randolph-Macon Academy Yellow Jackets at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
If Eastern Mennonite beats Randolph-Macon Academy with 11 runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Flames walked away with an 11-8 win over Shenandoah Valley Academy on Monday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Flames.
The home team had come away the winner the last five times Randolph-Macon Academy and Massanutten Military Academy had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Yellow Jackets blew past the Colonels 15-4 on Monday. The victory continues a trend for the Yellow Jackets in their matchups with the Colonels: they've now won four in a row.
Codie Stella made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Randolph-Macon Academy is 5-2 when Stella posts two or more stolen bases, but 0-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, Finn Strabley was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. He is becoming a predictor of Randolph-Macon Academy's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 4-2 (and 1-5 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Ryan Schiro, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs.
Randolph-Macon Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .700. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .516 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Eastern Mennonite's win bumped their record up to 5-7. As for Randolph-Macon Academy, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 5-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Eastern Mennonite has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Randolph-Macon Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Eastern Mennonite came out on top in a nail-biter against Randolph-Macon Academy in their previous matchup two weeks ago, sneaking past 8-6. Do the Flames have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Yellow Jackets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
