The McCutcheon Mavericks will face off against the Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between McCutcheon and West Lafayette, and McCutcheon kept the tradition alive. The Mavericks came out on top against the Red Devils by a score of 7-3 on Monday. The Mavericks haven't had any issues with the Red Devils recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Chance Henderson looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up a single walk any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Mekyel Almond was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted over his last nine contests. Brennan Johnson was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
McCutcheon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Lafayette only posted an OBP of .387.
Meanwhile, while Lafayette Jefferson put up some runs on Saturday, the same can't be said for Richmond. The Bronchos blew past the Red Devils 10-0. Considering the Bronchos have won ten games by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Lafayette Jefferson also got a great performance from Talan Meyers as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Leyton Corbin, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Ben Pickering, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
McCutcheon's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-11. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for Lafayette Jefferson, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-11 record this season.
Lafayette Jefferson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: McCutcheon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. It's a different story for Lafayette Jefferson, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain McCutcheon's hitters?
McCutcheon might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Lafayette Jefferson in their previous meeting on May 6th. Can the Mavericks avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
