The Marshall Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Arroyo Knights at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Marshall will be strutting in after a win while Arroyo will be coming in after a loss.
On Wednesday, Marshall needed a bit of extra time to put away South El Monte. They walked away with an 8-5 victory over South El Monte.
Caleb Thatcher was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Trevor Lain, who went 3-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Adan Castro, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Marshall kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Arroyo fell victim to Rosemead and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. The Knights' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Noah Fonseca was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.
Marshall has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Arroyo, their loss dropped their record down to 11-9-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Marshall has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Arroyo struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Marshall was able to grind out a solid victory over Arroyo in their previous matchup back in April, winning 9-6. Will the Eagles repeat their success, or do the Knights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
