The Petersburg Buffaloes will venture away from home to face off against the Nazareth Swifts at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Petersburg has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with eight straight losses, while Nazareth will come in with five straight victories.
Petersburg managed to slip by Crosbyton the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Buffaloes came up short against the Chiefs on Monday, falling 18-11. On the bright side, the 11- run performance marked the Buffaloes' highest-scoring contest to date.
Malachi Sedillo made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Lucas Rendon, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Nazareth made easy work of Springlake-Earth on Tuesday and carried off a 30-2 win. The Swifts might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by eight runs or more this season.
Breck Proctor made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Nazareth let Zane Schulte and Tripp Ethridge run wild. Schulte got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, five runs, and five RBI, while Ethridge went 3-for-4 with six RBI, four runs, and two doubles. With that strong performance, Schulte is now averaging an impressive 2.1 runs per game. Dayne Schulte also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Nazareth always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .773. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matches.
Nazareth's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Petersburg, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-9.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Petersburg has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Nazareth struggles in that department as they've averaged .643. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Petersburg suffered a grim 17-5 defeat to Nazareth when the teams last played last Saturday. Can the Buffaloes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
