vs
| 04/11/24 - Home | 3-13 L |
| 04/13/23 - Away | 2-3 L |
| 04/02/22 - Home | 8-6 W |
| 04/12/21 - Away | 1-9 L |
| 04/01/19 - Away | 10-3 W |
| + 3 more games |
Rose Bud and West Side are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Ramblers will challenge the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Rose Bud has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while West Side will come in with 12 straight wins.
Last Tuesday, Rose Bud didn't have quite enough to beat Episcopal and fell 6-4.
Jay Bell was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-5 with one home run and two runs. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Athan Hensley was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, West Side got the win against Concord on Tuesday by a conclusive 11-1. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.
Ty Hewitt and Keegan Towell made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Hewitt pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Towell pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hewitt has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. At bat, Hewitt scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5, while Towell scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Bo Hipp was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooks Hipp, who scored two runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.
West Side always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
West Side's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Rose Bud, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Rose Bud has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like West Side struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Rose Bud might still be hurting after the 13-3 loss they got from West Side in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Ramblers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
