The Athens Drive Jaguars will face off against the Green Hope Falcons at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Athens Drive will be strutting in after a victory while Green Hope will be coming in after a loss.
Athens Drive had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt East Chapel Hill on Tuesday. Athens Drive blew past East Chapel Hill 15-5.
Shota Sharman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with six RBI, one run, and one double. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Paul Harrell, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Miguel Delgado, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI.
Athens Drive always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Chapel Hill only posted an OBP of .448.
Meanwhile, Green Hope wound up with the same score they had in their last game (6-5), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.
Green Hope also got a good showing from Patrick Barry, who pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, Dylan Johnson was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Elijah Martin was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Athens Drive's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Green Hope, their defeat was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-1.
Athens Drive was able to grind out a solid victory over Green Hope when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 11-6. Does Athens Drive have another victory up their sleeve, or will Green Hope turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
