The Wheeler Bearcats will head out on the road to challenge the Morgan Township Cherokees at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Wheeler will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Things were looking good for Wheeler after they put the first run on the board on Tuesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Lake Station Edison by a score of 13-12.
Nick Micciche made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Cash Micciche, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Morgan Township won against Lowell on Saturday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Cherokees were the clear victors by an 11-4 margin over Tri-Township. With that victory, the Cherokees brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Caleb Ksenak tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cal Lemmons, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Morgan Township: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-11-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Clint Lemmons, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Morgan Township always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Wheeler has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-11 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs over those games. As for Morgan Township, their win ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-12-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wheeler has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Morgan Township struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
