Lebanon hasn't had much luck against Staunton recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The two teams will meet in a dog eat dog contest at 4:30 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Lebanon is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Mulberry Grove with a sharp 13-3 win on Tuesday.
Nicky Burger made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Burger was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Landen Davis, who scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Deion Washington was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Lebanon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Staunton made easy work of Dupo on Wednesday and carried off a 10-3 victory. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Drake Billings spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Staunton let Logan Tuetken and Carter Legendre run wild. Tuetken scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Legendre scored a run while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. That's the most runs Tuetken has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ashton Rizzi, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Staunton now has a winning record of 3-2-1. As for Lebanon, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Lebanon's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. Lebanon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Staunton, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lebanon continue to outrun the ball?
Lebanon might still be hurting after the 14-1 loss they got from Staunton in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Lebanon have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
