The Elba Lancers will challenge the Byron-Bergen Bees at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Elba is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Elba will bounce into Saturday's match after beating Attica, who they had gone 0-5 against in their five prior meetings. The Lancers blew past the Blue Devils 12-1 on Tuesday. That 11 run margin sets a new team best for the Lancers this season.
Nicholas Scott made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off nine hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Brendan Porey was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Fletcher Norton was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Byron-Bergen had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Caledonia-Mumford on Friday, sneaking past 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bees have posted since April 10, 2024.
The team relied heavily on Martin McConnell, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. Byron-Bergen is 2-1 when McConnell posts two or more stolen bases, but 0-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeremiah Romero, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run.
Elba's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average this season. As for Byron-Bergen, their victory bumped their record up to 2-5.
Byron-Bergen's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Elba has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Byron-Bergen, though, as they've only averaged .320. Will they be able to contain Elba's hitters?
Elba was able to grind out a solid win over Byron-Bergen when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 7-2. Will the Lancers repeat their success, or do the Bees have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
