The Bayside Bears will head out on the road to challenge the Tradition Prep Pirates at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bayside hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.
Bayside might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 6-2 to Merritt Island, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Bayside saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elvin Pascaul, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Tradition Prep made sure to put some runs up on the board against Westwood on Tuesday. The Pirates blew past the Panthers 15-0. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.
Tyler Hagan looked comfortable as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He is becoming a predictor of Tradition Prep's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is 2-1 (and 4-6-1 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, Zayden Hernandez and Jack Greene did most of the damage at the plate: Hernandez scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Greene scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-2. Hernandez has become a key player for Tradition Prep: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-7-1 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Daniel Almonte, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Tradition Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .767. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Bayside's defeat dropped their record down to 12-6. As for Tradition Prep, their record is now 6-7-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bayside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tradition Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bayside skirted past Tradition Prep 2-1 when the teams last played on Friday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
