St. Cloud hasn't had much luck against Harmony recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bulldogs will take on the Longhorns in a tournament on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
While St. Cloud's win against Gateway wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Panthers 5-3.
Cole Davis was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Luis Ecarri, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Harmony made easy work of Osceola on Wednesday and carried off a 13-2 win. The result was nothing new for the Longhorns, who have now won nine matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Trevin Bean looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jadiel Perez, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Westin Thompson was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Harmony kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.
St. Cloud's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 14-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Harmony, their victory bumped their record up to 16-6.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Cloud has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .448. However, it's not like Harmony struggles in that department as they've averaged .459. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Cloud came out on top in a nail-biter against Harmony in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 8-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
