We've got a battle between Tigers coming up.
Leonard took a 27-run defeat the last time they faced off against Blue Ridge, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Leonard skirted past Blue Ridge 8-7. While Leonard didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-14-2), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Ethan McCarthy made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. McCarthy was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zaylen Summers, who scored a run and stole Two bases. while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Tate Martin was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Leonard always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Blue Ridge only posted an OBP of .343.
Leonard is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. Blue Ridge dropped their record down to 2-7 with the loss, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season.
Blue Ridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Leonard has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. It's a different story for Blue Ridge, though, as they've only averaged .333. Will they be able to contain Leonard's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
