The WestSide Renegades will head out to take on the James Monroe Mavericks at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While WestSide's victory against Mingo Central wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. WestSide came out on top in a nail-biter against Mingo Central on Tuesday, sneaking past 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Renegades have posted against the Miners since April 22, 2019.
Hayden Miller was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Sawyer Kenney, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, James Monroe faced Princeton in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. James Monroe had just enough and edged out Princeton 13-12. With that victory, the Mavericks brought their scoring average up to 7 runs per game.
Kadyn Hines made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has become a key player for James Monroe: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 1-2 otherwise. Hines was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. He is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carson Koen, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5. Cameron Crislip also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
James Monroe was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
James Monroe has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. The victory got WestSide back to even at 1-1.
WestSide beat James Monroe 6-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2017. Does WestSide have another victory up their sleeve, or will James Monroe turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
