Sterling is 1-9 against University since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Sterling is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Tigers on Saturday. Sterling had just enough and edged out Bennett 7-6. That's two games straight that Sterling has won by just one run.
Dayten DiOrio made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Aiden Ortega
| 04/19/25 vs Bennett | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Eaton | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Liberty Common | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs La Junta | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Silver Creek | 1 |
In other batting news, Sterling let Aiden Ortega and Conner Gemaehlich run wild. Ortega got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Gemaehlich went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base. Those two stolen bases gave Ortega a new career-high.
Meanwhile, University waltzed into their matchup on Monday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They came out on top against the Reds by a score of 10-7. University's victory was all the more impressive since the Reds were averaging only 3.86 runs allowed on the season.
Like Sterling, University also got a great game from a two-way player: Will Korby. He pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Korby was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Isaac Dellinger was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three runs and one triple. Kaden Turk was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one run.
University kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Sterling is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.2 runs over those games. As for University, their record now sits at 12-3.
Both Sterling and University just can't seem to miss. The Tigers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sterling suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to University when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
