The Tate Aggies will head out on the road to square off against the Providence School Stallions at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Tate has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Providence School will arrive with four straight victories.
While Tate couldn't quite beat St. Augustine on Thursday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the six-point defeat they were dealt on Tuesday. Tate fell just short of St. Augustine by a score of 3-1.
Neal Croom was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits.
At the plate, Bray Touchstone was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-3 with a home run.
Meanwhile, Providence School was able to grind out a solid win over Episcopal School of Jacksonville on Thursday, taking the game 13-9. With that victory, Providence School brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Providence School also got a great performance from Donovan Rabiei as he struck out seven batters over 4.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Rabiei has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Colby Batsch was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Kyle Powers was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Tate's loss dropped their record down to 8-8. As for Providence School, they pushed their record up to 10-6 with that win, which was their third straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tate has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Providence School struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. 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
