The Hamilton Southeastern Royals are taking a road trip to face off against the Avon Orioles at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Hamilton Southeastern has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while Avon will come in with six straight wins.
Monday just wasn't the day for Hamilton Southeastern's offense. They fell 4-0 to Bloomington South on Monday. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Royals were not able to get on the board.
Hamilton Southeastern got a good showing from Dylan Cope, who pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Cope has allowed since back in May of 2024.
On the hitting side, Hamilton Southeastern saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Bixler, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Bixler has snagged this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Avon). They blew past Plainfield 14-1 on Monday. That's two games straight that the Orioles have won by exactly 13 runs.
Isaac Kramer looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Wyatt Pennington, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Brayden Salyer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Avon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Plainfield only posted a batting average of .200.
Avon pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Hamilton Southeastern, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hamilton Southeastern has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Avon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hamilton Southeastern came up short against Avon when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 8-4. Can the Royals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
