Emerald has won three straight games at home, while Westside has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Vikings will host the Rams at 6:00 p.m. Emerald has given up an average of 7.3 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Friday just wasn't the day for Emerald's offense. They lost 15-0 to Fountain Inn on Friday. The contest marked the first time this season in which the Vikings were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, Westside's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Southside a 15-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won nine matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Peyton Milford was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, earning three RBI and two runs.
In other batting news, MJ Lee was a standout: he earned two RBI, two runs, and three stolen bases. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jace Haynes, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Westside always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .652. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .625 or higher in three consecutive games.
Westside is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Emerald, their loss dropped their record down to 9-11.
Emerald was able to grind out a solid win over Westside when the teams last played back in February of 2018, winning 6-3. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
