The Winfield Warriors will face off against the Fort Zumwalt East Lions at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Winfield took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They came out on top against Clopton by a score of 4-1. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Hawks recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Winfield's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Maison Pruitt, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Brady Cappel also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Fort Zumwalt East ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past St. Charles West 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Lions have posted since April 25, 2024.
Dominic Pandolfo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched four innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Carter Hollingsworth looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
Back at the plate, Carson Topping was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Travis Hill was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Fort Zumwalt East's win bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Winfield, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
Winfield beat Fort Zumwalt East 5-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2017. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
