The Springfield Blue Devils will square off against the Emmanuel Christian Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Springfield has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight losses, while Emmanuel Christian will come in with three straight victories.
Springfield couldn't beat Ross on Tuesday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fourth inning. The Blue Devils came up short against the Little Giants, falling 15-4.
Springfield saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was McCauley White, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That hit marked the first that White has got this season. Kash Thomley was another, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
While Emmanuel Christian didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Cardinal Stritch 12-5 on Tuesday. With that win, the Warriors brought their scoring average up to 6.7 runs per game.
Sam Kutz spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on two hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ethan Waywood, who went 2-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one double. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Colton Hartford, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Springfield's defeat dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Emmanuel Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Springfield has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Emmanuel Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.