The Athens Drive Jaguars will square off against the Riverside-Durham Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Athens Drive is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
Athens Drive's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Sanderson with a sharp 12-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Jaguars in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won eight in a row.
Austin Mantz
| 03/21/25 @ Sanderson | 3 |
| 03/10/25 vs Garner | 2 |
| 02/25/25 vs East Chapel Hill | 2 |
| 04/25/24 vs Sanderson | 2 |
| 04/17/24 vs Wakefield | 2 |
Athens Drive got a big performance out of Austin Mantz, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Those three runs gave Mantz a new career-high. Ryan Bartley was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Athens Drive always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Sanderson only posted an OBP of .167.
Meanwhile, Riverside-Durham put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against Green Hope. Seven seems to be a good number for the Pirates as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Brayden Mottola was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Kj Burton was excellent, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Kaiden Nichols, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Riverside-Durham's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average this season. As for Athens Drive, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Athens Drive has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .495. However, it's not like Riverside-Durham struggles in that department as they've averaged .500. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Athens Drive might still be hurting after the 12-3 loss they got from Riverside-Durham in their previous matchup back in June of 2021. Will Athens Drive 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.
