vs
| 04/05/24 - Home | 4-13 L |
| 04/13/23 - Away | 3-13 L |
| 04/27/22 - Home | 3-14 L |
| 03/28/22 - Away | 0-10 L |
| 05/08/19 - Away | 8-4 W |
| + 5 more games |
Schlarman and Armstrong are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Hilltoppers will square off against the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Schlarman will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.
Schlarman is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Urbana a 13-0 shutout on Wednesday. With that victory, the Hilltoppers brought their scoring average up to 7.2 runs per game.
Marc Villaester was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Villaester was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Schlarman got a massive performance out of Jerrius Atkinson, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Atkinson has posted since back in April of 2024. Miles Crosby was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Armstrong, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Seeger on Tuesday, sneaking past 2-1.
Traxton Roberts was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Ryan Edwards, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Armstrong's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Schlarman, their win ended a seven-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Schlarman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .484. However, it's not like Armstrong struggles in that department as they've averaged .440. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Schlarman might still be hurting after the 13-4 loss they got from Armstrong when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Hilltoppers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
