The Manchester Blue Devils will play host again on Friday to welcome the Chattahoochee County Panthers, where first pitch is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Last Monday, Manchester suffered a rough 11-2 loss at the hands of Schley County.
Jack Underwood was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Underwood has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive pitching appearances. Underwood was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, Chattahoochee County fell victim to Schley County and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They wound up on the wrong side of a tough 13-0 walloping at the hands of the Wildcats. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Chattahoochee County in their matchups with Schley County: they've now lost eight in a row.
Manchester's loss dropped their record down to 9-8. As for Chattahoochee County, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-16.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Manchester has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chattahoochee County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Manchester was able to grind out a solid victory over Chattahoochee County in their previous matchup back in March, winning 9-4. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Chattahoochee County's Zachary Parker, who struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Manchester still be able to contain Parker? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
