The Jefferson Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Goretti Gael at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Jefferson is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Jefferson took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 4-1 win over Hampshire.
Riley Morgan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 16 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Jefferson saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jett Gross, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Goretti entered their tilt with University with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They were the clear victor by an 18-6 margin over the Hawks on Saturday. Goretti's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Warner Harper made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit over 4.1 innings pitched. Harper was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Goretti let Nick Petruzzello and Will Oates loose on the outfield. Petruzzello went 1-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Oates scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Michael Goldsmith, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
Jefferson's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-8. As for Goretti, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Jefferson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Goretti struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.2. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Jefferson took their win against Goretti in their previous meeting two weeks ago by a conclusive 7-1. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Goretti's Parker Sweeney, who struck out ten batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Jefferson still be able to contain Sweeney? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
