Afton is 8-2 against Welch since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. Afton will be playing in front of their home fans against Welch at 4:00 p.m. Welch took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Afton, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Afton turned things around against Bluejacket on Monday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Chieftains an 8-0 shutout.
Zander Mace made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has become a key player for Afton: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one hit, but 1-8 otherwise. Mace was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other pitching news, Brady Robinson looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (two).
Tristan Owens
| 03/31/25 @ Bluejacket | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Chouteau-Mazie | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Wyandotte | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Wyandotte | 1 |
Back at the plate, Tristan Owens was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Rick Barton, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Afton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .645. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Welch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They lost 13-3 to New Heights Christian Academy.
Dakota Bidwell was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Welch's loss dropped their record down to 1-8. As for Afton, their victory bumped their record up to 4-8.
Tuesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Afton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .498. However, it's not like Welch struggles in that department as they've averaged .487. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Afton's way against Welch in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Afton made off with an 8-1 win. Will Afton repeat their success, or does Welch has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
