Wood River is 3-0 against Sugar-Salem since April of 2021, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Wood River Wolverines will be staying on the road to face off against the Sugar-Salem Diggers at 12:15 p.m. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Two weeks ago, Wood River earned a 9-4 victory over Century. The win was just what Wood River needed coming off of a 15-3 loss in their prior contest.
Carter Thompson looked comfortable as he tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Dawson Speth was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and a double. Raul Rojas was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Sugar-Salem came tearing into Thursday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 11-1 victory. Sugar-Salem might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won four games by six runs or more this season.
Dawson McInelly was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit (and only one walk). McInelly was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Carson Harris was excellent, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Will Chappell, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Wood River's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Sugar-Salem, they pushed their record up to 8-4 with that victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wood River has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Sugar-Salem struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Wood River beat Sugar-Salem 5-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Will Wood River repeat their success, or does Sugar-Salem have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
