For the second straight game, Swansboro will face off against West Carteret. The Pirates will head out on the road to face off against the Patriots at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Swansboro 3.7, West Carteret 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Swansboro managed to slip by West Carteret the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Pirates came up short against the Patriots on Friday, falling 7-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Pirates have suffered against the Patriots since April 5, 2022.
For West Carteret's part, Cameron Pavy made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Pavy has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Riley Jones, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. He has become a key player for West Carteret: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Lincoln Strump, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
The win was the fourth in a row for West Carteret, bringing their record up to 13-8. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Swansboro, they dropped their record down to 12-7 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Swansboro has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like West Carteret struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
