The East Palestine Bulldogs will venture away from home to face off against the Ursuline Fighting Irish at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. East Palestine is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
Things were looking good for East Palestine after they put the first run on the board on Thursday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They took an 11-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of Heartland Christian. Surprisingly, this marked the Bulldogs' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Kyler Bourne put in work no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had over his last four matches. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Kealin Simon made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Brad Bartels also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Ursuline entered their tilt with Cardinal Mooney on Tuesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They blew past the Cardinals 9-3. Surprisingly, this marked the Fighting Irish's third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Luke Kollar was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Ursuline: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 5-6 otherwise. Rowan Urbach was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Ursuline's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 7 runs. As for East Palestine, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-6 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. East Palestine has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ursuline struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
