The Rochester Rockets will head out on the road to challenge the Washington Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Rochester is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games.
On Thursday, Rochester earned a 9-4 win over Springfield Southeast.
Ajay Runkel
| 05/07/26 vs Springfield Southeast | 6 |
| 04/28/26 @ Springfield | 3 |
| 04/21/26 vs Glenwood | 4 |
| 04/15/26 @ Belleville East | 2 |
| 04/08/26 vs Sacred Heart-Griffin | 5 |
| 03/31/26 vs Lincoln | 7 |
Ajay Runkel made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Frank Stefano, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. Gibson Warren was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Rochester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Springfield Southeast only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Washington came up short against Dunlap on Wednesday and fell 6-2. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Rochester's record is now 12-8. As for Washington, their defeat dropped their record down to 17-9.
Rochester beat Washington 8-5 in their previous matchup back in May of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
