The Springfield Yellow Jackets will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Jo Byrns Red Devils at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Springfield came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Goodpasture Christian, falling 12-2. The loss put an end to the Yellow Jackets' undefeated start to the season.
Springfield saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Goodfred, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Jo Byrns came out on top against Pleasant View Christian on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Red Devils were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Warriors. Considering the Red Devils' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Adam Riley was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Riley was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Jo Byrns let Clay Woody and Mason Arms run wild. Woody went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Arms went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Calen Dennis, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Jo Byrns was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pleasant View Christian only posted a batting average of .111.
Having lost for the first time this season, Springfield fell to 2-1. As for Jo Byrns, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Jo Byrns' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Springfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. It's a different story for Jo Byrns, though, as they've only averaged .194. Will they be able to contain Springfield's hitters?
Springfield got the 'W' when the teams last played last Tuesday against Jo Byrns by a conclusive 14-0 score. Do the Yellow Jackets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Red Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.