vs
| 02/22/24 - Home | 6-0 W |
| 03/30/23 - Away | 6-8 L |
| 02/25/22 - Home | 1-3 L |
| 03/30/21 - Away | 2-4 L |
| 02/25/21 - Home | 0-5 L |
| + 5 more games |
Steinbrenner and Wharton are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. The Steinbrenner Warriors will look to defend their home field on Saturday against the Wharton Wildcats at 10:00 a.m. The last three games Steinbrenner has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Steinbrenner fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Sickles on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Gryphons by a score of 5-4. The loss continues a trend for the Warriors in their meetings with the Gryphons: they've now lost six in a row.
Steinbrenner saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Austin Liss, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI. That's the most RBI Liss has posted since back in April of 2024. Chase Petker also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Wharton came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by an 18-2 margin over the Tigers. The Wildcats' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Cam Kennedy looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Antonio Fawcett was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-2. Alex Johnstone was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Wharton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Middleton only managed three hits.
Wharton pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Steinbrenner, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Steinbrenner has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wharton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Steinbrenner's way against Wharton when the teams last played back in February of 2024, as Steinbrenner made off with a 6-0 victory. Does Steinbrenner have another victory up their sleeve, or will Wharton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
