North Pole is 9-1 against Hutchison since May of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The North Pole Patriots will head out on the road to take on the Hutchison Hawks at 5:15 p.m. North Pole is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10 runs per game this season.
North Pole is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: West Valley, who was ranked sixth in their home state at the time (North Pole was ranked 15th). North Pole took an 8-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of West Valley on Saturday. North Pole's defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Ryan Martinez made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last nine games he's played. Caleb Korhonen was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Hutchison fell victim to West Valley and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 15-0 to the Wolf Pack. Hutchison has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
North Pole's loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 7-6-2. As for Hutchison, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-10.
Hutchison's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: North Pole hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .327. It's a different story for Hutchison, though, as they've only averaged .251. Will they be able to contain North Pole's hitters?
North Pole took their win against Hutchison when the teams last played last Saturday by a conclusive 10-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for North Pole since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
