Charlestown hasn't had much luck against Jeffersonville recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Pirates will head out to take on the Red Devils at 6:00 p.m. Charlestown will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Charlestown is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Eastern with a sharp 11-0 victory on Monday. While the Pirates didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Lex Rose made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Rose was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Aj Todd was a standout: he went 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Christian Grayson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Charlestown hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matches.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Jeffersonville and Columbus East, and Jeffersonville kept the tradition alive. The Red Devils had just enough and edged out the Olympians 6-5 on Monday.
Ryan Crawford was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI. That stolen base was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Braylen Gray, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Charlestown pushed their record up to 6-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Jeffersonville, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Charlestown's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Pirates have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Jeffersonville, though, as they've been averaging only 0.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Charlestown continue to outrun the ball?
Charlestown couldn't quite get it done against Jeffersonville in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 as they fell 8-3. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.