Uxbridge is 2-8 against Auburn since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Spartans will take on the Rockets at 3:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Uxbridge sitting on three straight wins and Auburn on 12.
Uxbridge had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 11-run drubbing they dealt Bay Path RVT on Friday. The Spartans' pitchers stepped up to hand the Minutemen an 11-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Auburn). They blew past North Middlesex Regional 13-1 on Friday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Kyle McLaughlin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on James Hillis, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Cameron McLaughlin, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Auburn kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive games.
Auburn pushed their record up to 12-0 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average this season. As for Uxbridge, their record is now 9-2.
Uxbridge was able to grind out a solid win over Auburn when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 6-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
