The Tri-State Christian Crusaders will face off against the Tome Titans at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
Tri-State Christian easily dispatched Greenwood Mennonite back in March, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Crusaders fell just short of Perry Hall Christian by a score of 5-3 back in March. The loss put an end to the Crusaders' undefeated start to the season.
Jake Bannon and Will Davis put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Bannon pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Davis pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. At bat, Bannon went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Davis got on base in two of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Tome never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over West Nottingham. The result was nothing new for the Titans, who have now won three contests by 14 runs or more so far this season.
Like Tri-State Christian, Tome also got a great game from a two-way player: Tristan Dunn. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Dunn was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Tome: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-4 otherwise.
In other batting news, Matt Woods and Noah Reyes did most of the damage at the plate: Woods got on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Reyes went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Woods is becoming a predictor of Tome's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 3-1 (and 2-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Robbie Reichlmann, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Tome always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .786. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Tome pushed their record up to 5-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.3 runs over those games. As for Tri-State Christian, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Tri-State Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tome struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Tri-State Christian took their victory against Tome in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Crusaders repeat their success, or do the Titans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
