The Independence Wildcats will face off against the Hickory Flat Rebels at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Independence's favor as the team sits on five straight wins at home while Hickory Flat has been banged up by ten consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, Independence earned a 6-1 victory over Bruce.
Dallas Stepp spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one walk in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Independence let Kaleb Kitchen and Gavin Pierce run wild. Kitchen scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Pierce went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most hits Kitchen has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Hickory Flat came up short against Potts Camp on Thursday and fell 9-5.
Tripp Pipkin and Connor Hendricks did some serious damage despite the final result: Pipkin scored a run while going 2-for-2, while Hendricks scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Independence is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Hickory Flat, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-19.
Hickory Flat's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .435. It's a different story for Hickory Flat, though, as they've only averaged .284. Will they be able to contain Independence's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
