The Pittsfield Saukees will head out on the road to square off against the Quincy Blue Devils at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Pittsfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
Pittsfield is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Quincy Notre Dame just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 12-10. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Saukees have suffered since April 10, 2024.
Tim Hull put in work while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Hull was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Hayden Gratton made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-5 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Luke Saxe was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Quincy ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over Rock Island. The victory was familiar territory for the Blue Devils, who have now won three contests in a row.
The team relied heavily on Kade Parkhill, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-5. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Gavin Fink, who scored two runs and stole two bases.
Quincy picked up their first home win, bumping their record up to 5-10. As for Pittsfield, the defeat was their first at home , dropping their record down to 12-3.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pittsfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Quincy struggles in that department as they've averaged .329. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pittsfield came out on top in a nail-biter against Quincy in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Saukees since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
