The Jackson Vikings will venture away from home to square off against the Monroe Trojans on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Jackson is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past Ypsilanti 31-0 on Wednesday. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Nate Ehlert looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Jackson got a massive performance out of Eric Lopez, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI Lopez has posted since back in March. Kylin Davis was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Jackson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .810. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Monroe hadn't done well against Skyline recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Trojans came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 9-5.
The team relied heavily on Carson Liedel, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times he's played.
Monroe is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Jackson, their record now sits at 6-10.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jackson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. However, it's not like Monroe struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jackson couldn't quite get it done against Monroe in their previous meeting last Monday as they fell 7-2. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
