The Athens Wildcats are taking a road trip to challenge the Hughesville Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Athens' pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Hughesville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Athens will head out to face Hughesville after giving up their first home loss of the season on Sunday. The Wildcats took an 8-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of Wellsboro.
Nick Grazul made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three runs.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Hughesville and Central Columbia, and Hughesville kept the tradition alive. The Spartans were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Bluejays on Monday. The Spartans not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since April 11th (when they won 12-0).
Trent Wetzel made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Connor Anstadt, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. He has become a key player for Hughesville: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Dylan McConnell, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Hughesville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .658. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Hughesville is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season. As for Athens, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-3.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Athens has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .476. However, it's not like Hughesville struggles in that department as they've averaged .454. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
