The Oscar Smith Tigers will be taking part in a tournament against the Gray's Creek Bears on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Thursday, Oscar Smith needed a bit of extra time to put away Indian River. They had just enough and edged out the Braves 2-1. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Braves: they've now won three in a row.
Dominick Zak
Dominick Zak made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Oscar Smith is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-3 otherwise. Zak was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Zak wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Braden Copeland, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Gray's Creek entered their tilt with South View on Thursday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 6-2.
Gunner Sterling was a standout: he scored two runs while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Barnes, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Gray's Creek kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive matchups.
Gray's Creek's record now sits at 11-6. As for Oscar Smith, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Oscar Smith has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gray's Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
