Fayetteville-Perry hasn't had much luck against Manchester recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Rockets will welcome the Greyhounds at 5:00 p.m.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Tuesday as neither Fayetteville-Perry nor Whiteoak made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Rockets fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 6-5. The Rockets just can't catch a break and have now endured three losses in a row.
Alex Williamson was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Parker Pfankuch also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Manchester, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They put the hurt on North Adams with a sharp 11-4 win on Tuesday. Considering the Greyhounds have won five games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Thomas Barnhart made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Luke Applegate was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Clayton Colvin was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Manchester's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Fayetteville-Perry, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fayetteville-Perry has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Manchester struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Fayetteville-Perry might still be hurting after the 14-5 loss they got from Manchester in their previous meeting on Thursday. Will the Rockets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
