π Away Game | Reidsville Luckies @ High Point Hushpuppies π
Luckies kick off the season series right with a 4-2 victory
The Reidsville Luckies won their first divisional game of the season, defeating rival High Point Hushpuppies four runs to two. Since only divisional games are going to count toward our record this year, of which there are twenty-four, this was a huge win to kick off the season and get some momentum going.
Jasean Brown was the starting pitcher on the bump. Brown, who put up a 2.89 ERA in 27.2 innings pitched and averaged over eight strikeouts per nine innings at RCC, allowed two runs, only one of which was an earned run, in his four innings of work. According to manager Chenzo Scanio, he βgave [the Luckies] a good chance to win,β keeping them in the game and not allowing High Point to have a big start.
In the top of the fourth, with two outs, Jacob Trivette and Landon Parkerβs back-to-back hits tied up the game at two. Lucas Brooks then came onto the mound in the fifth for a one-two-three inning.
The sixth inning featured Ryne Rodrigues smashing a two-run homer to put the Luckies up, 4-2. With Jimmy Warmack on the mound, he went four innings, got the win, and did not allow any runs.
I am very happy that Chenzo Scanio has strengthened the pitching core of the Luckies, as letting up runs was a big issue last year, and I think that you can largely attribute the hot streak to this new and improved pitching staff.
The win feels good. Joe Dexter and I have questioned who the next Luckies rivalry will be with now that the Sandhills Bogeys have left the division. The Luckies played the Hushpuppies six times last year, and in the first game, they got mercy ruled. The Hushpuppies won four out of six games, three of the games got rained out, they have a dumb name, and this year, Reidsville should be looking to get revenge.
Yes, I am trying to speak this rivalry into existence.
Extra Bases
Those who have been subscribed to the Luckies Ledger since last year know very well that I interview as many players as possible over the course of the season. This year, I would like to offer the opportunity for you readers to decide some of the questions I ask! Shoot me a message through the Substack app or leave a comment below this article, and I will ask the player of your choice the question of your choice!
Extra Bases
Chenzo Scanio said that we do not have a full roster in Lucky City, and strangely enough, it would actually be nice for it to stay that way as long as possible.
Maddox King is a starter for the Tampa University Spartans, a team that recently punched their ticket to the Division II College World Series. Tomorrow at 6PM in Cary, North Carolina, Tampa will take on the University of Indianapolis in their first game of the now eight-team bracket. Hopefully, Tampa can go all the way, and when we meet Maddox King at Jaycee Park, he has a championship ring on one of his fingers.
If Maddox isnβt reason enough to root for Tampa, Chenzo Scanioβs uncle, Joseph Urso, is their manager. Urso had this to say via email about Maddox.
βMaddox has developed quickly and become a rare freshman starter for UT. He gets on base a lot and in many ways as he walks and gets hit with pitches frequently. He can really hit the fastball especially to the pull side and has developed nicely adjusting to off speed pitches. As a defender there are not many better as he covers a ton of ground in CF with a plus plus arm. Should steal some bases as well.β
Those are no small remarks from the coach of the Spartans.
On-Deck
Tomorrow is a huge game at Jaycee Park. The Reidsville Luckies play the Oak City Gliders at home, and if they can notch this win, their league record will be at 2-0. The Luckies would then, assuming they beat the Native American National Team on Monday, head into Fridayβs first-ever game against the Wake Forest Fungo with a huge amount of momentum, with no losses in 2024 on their record.
Last year, Reidsville had a very bumpy beginning to the season. The Luckies started out 0-3 with losses to Lexington, Sandhills, and High Point. The longest winning streak for Reidsville was only three wins in 2023, so this momentum starter at the very beginning of the season would be paramount.