The University School of Jackson Bruins will take on the Myrtle Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
University School of Jackson is headed into the contest having just posted their closest victory since May 22, 2024 on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Milan 7-6.
Reid Finney looked comfortable as he struck out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and only one walk).
At the plate, Harrison McClain was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he launched this season. Noah Britt was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
University School of Jackson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Myrtle hadn't done well against West Union recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Myrtle never let West Union get on the board and left with a 3-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Hawks.
Drew Stanton was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over six innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Stanton wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cade Brown, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
Myrtle's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for University School of Jackson, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. University School of Jackson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Myrtle struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.5 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 match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
