The Avon Lake Shoremen will square off against the Chardon Hilltoppers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Chardon will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Avon Lake extended their winning streak to three on Thursday. The Shoremen walked away with a 12-8 victory over Dublin Coffman. While the Shoremen didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-15-1), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Chase Cartwright was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Nate Haven was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Avon Lake kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 13 hits in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Chardon, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. Everything went their way against South on Thursday as they made off with an 11-4 win. The Hilltoppers not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 28th (when they won 12-1).
Tim Robertson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Robertson was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Chardon is 2-1 when Robertson posts two or more runs, but 5-7 otherwise.
In other batting news, Justin Smith was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Adam Gable, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Avon Lake's victory bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Chardon, their win bumped their record up to 7-8.
Avon Lake skirted past Chardon 9-8 in their previous matchup back in April of 2022. Do the Shoremen have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hilltoppers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
