The McGavock Raiders will venture away from home to face off against the LaVergne Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. McGavock has given up an average of 13.6 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
McGavock is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 18 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Donelson Christian Academy on Monday. They came up short against the Wildcats, falling 16-2. The defeat continues a trend for the Raiders in their meetings with the Wildcats: they've now lost four in a row.
McGavock saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Montay Keel, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI. Cody Calvin also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask LaVergne). They put the hurt on Hunters Lane with a sharp 15-6 victory on Friday. With that win, the Wolverines brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Jay Jerome made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because LaVergne is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 2-3 otherwise. Jerome was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, LaVergne let My'Quavious Barrett and Caleb Lund run wild. Barrett went 2-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles, while Lund scored three runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Lund is becoming a predictor of LaVergne's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-3 when he doesn't). Jeffrey Huddleston was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
McGavock's loss dropped their record down to 1-4. As for LaVergne, their victory ended a nine-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 5-3.
LaVergne's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: McGavock hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. It's a different story for LaVergne, though, as they've only averaged .201. Will they be able to contain McGavock's hitters?
McGavock came up short against LaVergne in their previous meeting back in February, falling 11-6. Can McGavock avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
