The Richmond-Burton Rockets will venture away from home to challenge the Belvidere Bucs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Richmond-Burton and Round Lake, and Round Lake kept the tradition alive. The Rockets fell 7-4 to the Panthers on Tuesday. The Rockets' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Belvidere came out on top against Belvidere North on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Bucs took their contest against the Blue Thunder 10-5. The high-scoring effort was just what the Bucs needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Chris Medina was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Belvidere's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 6-18 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gio Urbietta, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two doubles. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Emmett Rodriguez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Belvidere kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Belvidere has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-19 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Richmond-Burton, their loss dropped their record down to 8-15.
Richmond-Burton beat Belvidere 8-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
