For the first time this season, Oak Hill will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will square off against the Alexandria-Monroe Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Manchester hit Oak Hill with a four-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Golden Eagles lost 10-2 to the Squires. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Golden Eagles couldn't push the score so high this time.
Oak Hill saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Matthew O'Banion, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Ryan Lawson also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Alexandria-Monroe came out on top against Knightstown on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fifth inning. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over the Panthers. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Grayson Gaines spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
At the plate, Trevor Martin was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jon Aiman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
The win was the third in a row for Alexandria-Monroe, bringing their record up to 8-2. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Oak Hill, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-5 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Oak Hill has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Alexandria-Monroe struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Oak Hill came out on top in a nail-biter against Alexandria-Monroe in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Golden Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
