The Rushville-Industry Rockets will challenge the Liberty Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Rushville-Industry came up short against Brown County and fell 17-13. The loss continues a trend for the Rockets in their meetings with the Hornets: they've now lost five in a row.
Rushville-Industry got a massive performance out of Jackson Spencer, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Rylan Reimolds, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs and one double.
Liberty came out on top against Hamilton/Warsaw on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run sixth inning. The Eagles blew past the Titans 12-2. Considering the Eagles have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Jackson Sims spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Jack Sparrow was a standout: he got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs and two RBI. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Evan Sims, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI and one double.
Liberty kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Liberty's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-10. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Rushville-Industry, they now have a losing record of 10-11.
Liberty's pitching crew better be locked in on Thursday. Rushville-Industry hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. It's a different story for Liberty, though, as they've been averaging only 0 home runs. Will they be able to keep Rushville-Industry in the park?
Rushville-Industry came out on top in a nail-biter against Liberty in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 2-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
