The Williamsville Bullets will challenge the Roxana Shells at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Williamsville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Springfield hit Williamsville with a four-run sixth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bullets fell 10-5 to Springfield.
Brenton Trickey was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He pitched 2.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run but no hits. That's the first time he hasn't allowed a single hit since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Roxana had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They won by a run and slipped past Litchfield 6-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Shells.
Like Williamsville, Roxana also got a great game from a two-way player: Mason Crump. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Crump has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Roxana got a massive performance out of Nick Miles, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those four hits gave Miles a new career-high. Dalton Carriker was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and three runs.
Williamsville has been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 16-15 record this season. As for Roxana, their win bumped their record up to 24-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Williamsville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Roxana struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.2 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.
