The United Golden Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Salem Quakers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. United is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, United needed a bit of extra time to put away Columbiana. They walked away with an 8-3 win over the Clippers. The game was the first time the Golden Eagles have beaten the Clippers on their field since May 13, 2022.
Parker Newburn and Quentin Taylor were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Newburn struck out 11 batters over 7.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Meanwhile, Taylor tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Newburn has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. At the plate, Newburn got on base in three of his six plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Taylor went 3-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most doubles Taylor has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Cavan Jackson was excellent, going 1-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Braiden Byrns, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Salem couldn't beat Rootstown on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the seventh inning. The Quakers fell just short of the Rovers by a score of 6-5. The Quakers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Bairon Exline was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. Colin Riesen was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
United's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-6. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Salem, their loss dropped their record down to 2-16.
Salem's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: United hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. It's a different story for Salem, though, as they've only averaged .258. Will they be able to contain United's hitters?
United couldn't quite get it done against Salem when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 5-2. Can the Golden Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
