The Vanguard Knights will head out to square off against the Santa Fe Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Vanguard will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Last Wednesday, Vanguard earned a 9-5 victory over Williston.
The team relied heavily on Jacob ?Jake? Wells, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Gavin Aiton also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Vanguard kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Columbia on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took an 8-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tigers. The defeat continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now lost six in a row.
Jackson McDavid was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Brandon Weber was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double.
Vanguard pushed their record up to 6-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. As for Santa Fe, their loss dropped their record down to 3-6.
Vanguard's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. Vanguard has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Santa Fe, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Vanguard continue to outrun the ball?
Vanguard came out on top in a nail-biter against Santa Fe in their previous meeting two weeks ago, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Vanguard since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
