The Ardrey Kell Knights will face off against the Watauga Pioneers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Ardrey Kell's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Watauga's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Things were looking good for Ardrey Kell after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Ballantyne Ridge by a score of 4-3.
Matthew Slattery was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits.
At the plate, Ardrey Kell saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brady Marconi, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Parker Vanstory was another, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Watauga was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against South Iredell, falling 7-1. The matchup marked the Pioneers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Daniel Jones was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, JT Cook made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Ardrey Kell's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Watauga, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Ardrey Kell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .314. However, it's not like Watauga struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
