The Sandy Spring Friends Wildebeests will head out on the road to challenge the St. Anselm's Abbey Panthers at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Sandy Spring Friends is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Sandy Spring Friends took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They came out on top against Berman Hebrew Academy by a score of 9-6.
Jack Fones
| 03/01/25 vs Coolidge | 4 |
| 03/13/25 vs McLean | 3 |
| 03/08/25 vs Friends | 3 |
| 04/24/25 vs Berman Hebrew Academy | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Field | 2 |
| + 4 more games |
Jack Fones was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. Sandy Spring Friends is undefeated when Fones posts two or more runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, Darrion Sardo was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game. Minheyeok (Steve) Kim also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Anselm's Abbey was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They fell 12-9 to DC International. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Dragons 7-0 in the first period.
Philip Libanati made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Sandy Spring Friends pushed their record up to 7-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for St. Anselm's Abbey, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Sandy Spring Friends has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like St. Anselm's Abbey struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Sandy Spring Friends took their victory against St. Anselm's Abbey when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Wildebeests since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
