Sanderson is 2-7 against Athens Drive since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Sanderson Spartans will host the Athens Drive Jaguars at 6:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with seven defeats in a row, Sanderson turned things around against Millbrook on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Spartans have posted since February 25th.
Sanderson got a great performance from HAMPTON RIVERS as he didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave RIVERS a new career-low in earned runs (zero).
On the hitting side, BRADY ROBINSON was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Athens Drive, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They came out on top against Sanderson on Tuesday by a score of 10-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). Considering the Jaguars have won five games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Elliott Essic tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in strikeouts.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Shota Sharman, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Abdel Amra was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Athens Drive pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Sanderson, their victory bumped their record up to 2-7.
Sanderson suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Athens Drive when the teams last played on Tuesday. Will Sanderson have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
