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Washington Evening Journal
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Trojans-Panthers Part 4 on Friday
Fairfield visits Mt. Pleasant in district quarterfinals
MT. PLEASANT — Business is about to pick up at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in Mt. Pleasant, as the Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant baseball teams prepare to due battle one last time in the 2023 season.
The two old rivals will meet up once more after playing thrice in June. This time, the season for both teams is on the line.
The Panthers will host the Trojans at 7 p.m., on Friday night. That game will begin at the same time as all three other games in the Class 3A District 5 bracket.
Fairfield went 2-1 against Mt. Pleasant over the regular season. The two teams split in Mt. Pleasant on June 19, with Fairfield winning 13-0 in Game 1, thanks in part to a dominant pitching performance by Tate Allen, and Mt. Pleasant winning 7-6 in Game 2 on a Carter Amos hit by pitch.
On July 22 in Fairfield, Mt. Pleasant led 3-0 with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth. Fairfield’s Tallon Bates wiggled out of the jam, and the Trojans went up 9-3 with a nine-run bottom of the fourth.
Mt. Pleasant comes into the game being led offensively by Zerek Venghaus, who hits .371 from the leadoff spot. J.C. Sitar isn’t too far behind with a .344 average, and both have 12 RBIs.
Carter Amos leads the Panthers in RBIs, with 20. He and Payton Walker (15 RBIs) each have two home runs, and Sitar has hit one.
The Panthers could go a few different ways with their pitching. As far as starters go, Ben Newton has the best ERA, with a 1.23, but Venghaus isn’t far behind, with a 2.15. Reliever Payton Hagans has a 1.11 ERA in 10 appearances.
Fairfield’s best offensive player this year has been Bates, who hits .337 with a team-high 26 RBIs. He also has the only Trojan homer of the regular season.
Allen hits .326 this season. Dain Burkhart is batting .286, and both have 17 RBIs. Caden Allison is second on the team with 19 RBIs, and Aidan Krueter has 17.
Fairfield will likely go with one of their Top-2 pitchers on the bump. Burkhart has a 1.48 ERA and Allen is sitting at a 1.79 mark.
The winner of Friday night’s game will play either No. 4 Marion (27-5) or South Tama (4-26) in the next round.
