The Mt. Vernon Yellowjackets will look to defend their home field on Saturday against the Licking Heights Hornets at 11:00 a.m. The timing is sure in Mt. Vernon's favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home while Licking Heights has been banged up by eight consecutive losses on the road.
Mt. Vernon will head into Thursday's contest hoping to keep the good times rolling: they proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by eight) but on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Madison Comprehensive.
Kayden Packard made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Packard was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Ezra Kurek was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Konner Daughriety was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Licking Heights beat Zanesville 4-1 on Thursday.
Blake Caldwell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered one run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Carson Johnson, who scored a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Joel Busker, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Mt. Vernon's victory bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Licking Heights, their win bumped their record up to 5-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mt. Vernon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Licking Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mt. Vernon skirted past Licking Heights 8-6 when the teams last played back in April of 2019. Does Mt. Vernon have another victory up their sleeve, or will Licking Heights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
