The Bayside Bears will head out to square off against the Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Bayside's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Melbourne Central Catholic's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Bayside is headed into Monday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Thursday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 7-6 heartbreaker at the hands of Tradition Prep.
Bayside saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Wesley Wolf, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Ryan Ramroop was another, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Melbourne Central Catholic, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over Scott County on Thursday.
Levi Rollinger looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Melbourne Central Catholic let Tristan Colovic and Tanner Garza run wild. Colovic scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Garza got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and one stolen base.
Melbourne Central Catholic has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Bayside, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bayside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Melbourne Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bayside was able to grind out a solid victory over Melbourne Central Catholic in their previous meeting back in March, winning 8-3. 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.
