Newton is on a three-game streak of home wins, while McEachern is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Rams will host the Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Wednesday, Newton made easy work of South Gwinnett and carried off a 10-3 victory.
The team relied heavily on Caden Brown, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and three runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Kendall Turner, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Newton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, McEachern won against Paulding County on Wednesday with nine runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. Everything went the Indians' way against New Manchester as they made off with a 9-2 win. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Jaguar recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Josiah Hatchett looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, McEachern let Tyce Williams and Alijah Asad run wild. Williams got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Asad went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Asad has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Alex Wilbanks was another key player, earning one RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases.
Newton has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-11 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for McEachern, their victory bumped their record up to 22-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Newton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like McEachern struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
