St. James hadn't done well against Salem recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. St. James narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Salem 7-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for St. James.
JV Meurer made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out 14 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. St. James is 2-1 when Meurer posts two or more runs, but 2-16 otherwise.
Hunter Freeman
| 05/14/26 @ Salem | 3 |
| 05/12/26 @ Bourbon | 2 |
| 05/04/26 vs Waynesville | 2 |
| 05/01/26 vs Hermann | 1 |
| 04/14/26 vs Owensville | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hunter Freeman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for St. James: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-16 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Aiden Cruz, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases.
St. James' victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 4-17. As for Salem, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 11 of their last 13 games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-17 record this season.
St. James wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next matchup, a 7-1 defeat against Potosi on the 16th. Salem does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
