The Harper Woods Pioneers will square off against the Osborn Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Harper Woods has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with 14 straight defeats, while Osborn will come in with five straight victories.
Avondale hit Harper Woods with a eight-run fifth inning last Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Pioneers came up short against the Yellowjackets, falling 15-5.
Harper Woods saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Myron Baylor, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that Baylor has launched this season.
Osborn not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since April 29th (when they won 26-1). Everything went their way against Mumford as they made off with a 20-2 win. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by six runs or more this season.
J Williams was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Williams was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, A Woods was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and four runs. He has been hot for a while, having also posted at least one stolen base the last 12 times he's played. Another player making a difference was D Conway, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Osborn's victory bumped their record up to 23-3. As for Harper Woods, their loss dropped their record down to 4-14.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Harper Woods has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Osborn struggles in that department as they've averaged .568. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Harper Woods' way against Osborn when the teams last played back in April of 2023, as Harper Woods made off with a 17-4 win. Do the Pioneers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
