Tempe Prep and Lincoln Prep are an even 3-3 against one another since March of 2021, but likely not for long. The Tempe Prep Knights will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Lincoln Prep Lightning at 3:45 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
If Tempe Prep beats Lincoln Prep with six runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Tempe Prep walked away with a 6-2 win over Santa Cruz Valley on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Tempe Prep.
Nick Gastelum was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Austin Sampson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Prep put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They never let Joseph City onto the board and left with an 11-0 victory.
Thomas Frey was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Frey has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive pitching appearances. Frey was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
In other pitching news, Bryant Gragg looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Cash Luce, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Michael DeBratto was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Tempe Prep's win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-14. As for Lincoln Prep, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Tempe Prep has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Lincoln Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
