The Harding Presidents will head out on the road to take on the Joel Barlow Falcons at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Harding hasn't scored more than two runs for four games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.
Monday just wasn't the day for Harding's offense. They came up short against New Fairfield on Monday, falling 27-0.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Joel Barlow). They were the clear victors by a 19-1 margin over Bassick on Monday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Falcons with their most commanding win of the season.
Steve Czerkawski looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Joel Barlow got a massive performance out of Gavin Maryott, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Those three hits gave Maryott a new career-high. Ryan Kelly was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Joel Barlow always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Joel Barlow has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Harding, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.
Harding might still be hurting after the 20-1 defeat they got from Joel Barlow in their previous meeting back in May of 2022. Can the Presidents avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
