The Havana Ducks will face off against the Abingdon/Avon Tornadoes at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing isn't great for Havana: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home dating back to last season, while Abingdon/Avon has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
On Monday, Havana needed a bit of extra time to put away Midwest Central. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over the Raiders. The Ducks haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Havana let Owen Smith and Jack Turner run wild. Smith scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3, while Turner scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave Smith a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaden Olson, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-5.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Abingdon/Avon). They put the hurt on West Prairie with a sharp 28-10 win last Monday.
Evan Hook was a standout: he went 4-for-5 with one home run, three stolen bases, and five runs. He is becoming a predictor of Abingdon/Avon's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 3-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Owen Timmons, who got on base in five of his seven plate appearances with three stolen bases, five runs, and five RBI.
Abingdon/Avon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Abingdon/Avon now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Havana, their victory bumped their record up to 2-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Havana has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Abingdon/Avon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Havana suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Abingdon/Avon in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Will the Ducks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
