Week 7 Fast Pitch Predictions

With the aces' innings out of the way, things are bound to get interesting in week 7. 

Yaks (5-6, 5th) vs 8 Balls (6-5, T-2nd) 
Probable Starters 
Dalton Lewis (YAK) 
Jay Wilsey (I8B) 

Jay looked good during his limited pitching this year, but Lewis has thrown more often and more recently, perhaps leveling the field. The Yaks and 8Balls have nearly identical offenses and this matchup is hard to predict. I feel like the 8 Balls have been very scrappy thus far this year, and, in this battle, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt as well. 
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Prediction: 8 Balls 
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Hounds (4-7, 6th) vs Stampede (6-4, 1st) 
Probable Starters 
Jake Sprinkle (HWC) 
Aidan Palmer (STD) 

Finally, Sprinkle makes his fast pitch debut against none other than one of the league's best pitchers, Aidan Palmer. Aidan has only looked human once this year, and Sprinkle, despite his fantastic history, has a tall order to outduel him and keep the Pede’s offense at bay. I expect Sprinkle to be sharp, but not that sharp. 

Prediction: Stampede win 
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Hounds (4-7, 6th) vs Moonshots (5-5, 4th) 
Probable Starters 
Mitch Buis (HWC) 
Ian Garavalia (MID) 

Ian has been a hell of a #2 this year, but beating Buis isn’t easy for anybody. Fresh off a stellar but unfortunate 2-0 loss with the NWLA Dirt team, I think Buis is looking to take out some aggression (if he has any?). I know the Hounds' offense is bottom of the league, but I've got a hunch on this one (or indigestion, either way). 

Prediction: Hounds win 
 
Moonshots (5-5, 4th) vs Shorts (6-5, T-2nd) 
Probable Starters  
Connor Smith/Nolan Karwoski (MID) 
Dustin Laugel (SS) 
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Connor Smith has had some good innings in him this year, and the Shorts' offense, while good, is by no means terrifying thus far. However, Dudas has all the momentum in the world after earning a second straight NWLAT MVP; if there was ever a time for him to carry a team, it's now. If Connor can’t find some consistency, we get to see if Nolan's fastball is as fast as his swing, and I am intrigued to see this. The Shorts send me (Laugel) to the mound in what might be an adventure. Aside from Swing and PP, I don’t think anybody was aware my shoulder had a weird pop the second-to-last pitch in my start at NWLA. Strange pains are nothing new to me, but not like this. I was sore for 8 damn days. For the record, however, the last time my bionic arm had a weird pop, I went from throwing 70s to 80s (also oddly enough at NWLA), so flip a coin on this one. I'll either be trash, trashed, throw gas, gassed, or have gas; either way, I'll bet on my team for this one. 
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Prediction: Shorts win 

8 Balls (6-5, T-2nd) vs Shorts (6-5, T-2nd) 
Probable Starters 
Alex Gurtcheff (I8B) 
Myc Witty (SS) 

Gurtch has looked much sharper as of late on the mound, and if it were anybody else in the league, I might give him the benefit of the doubt....but it is Magic Myc Witty he’s pitching against.....so, Witty wins. BUT hold the phone, “they” said the same thing about Jaso at the NWLA, but Reid had other plans - are we in for another soul-crushing home run? Perhaps not likely with the lefty-on-lefty matchup, but this is wiffle, and it's anybody's game. Gurtch’s best hope to win may be to force a jackoff, which isn’t out of the question, and the Shorts have looked miserable at them so far this year. 

Prediction: Shorts Win 
 
Yaks (5-6, 5th) vs Stampede (6-4, 1st) 
Probable Starters 
Dustin Dowden (YAK) 
Brayden Scott (STD) 

Brayden vs Dowden is a matchup that very well may end up 1-0 for either team; a popcorn-worthy pitching matchup. The Yaks' offense hasn't held a candle to the Stampede's so far this year, but they did do enough to nab two wins last time out. Swingler gets to take his first league at-bats against Brayden in over 2 years...in a league that has way more talent but also way less corn. There was a time earlier this year that me and Swing absolutely shelled (not a turtle reference) Brayden in practice, so this COULD be interesting. Dowden has been nothing but incredible this year, so I’m calling a jackoff. One would think this favors the Stampede, but they didn’t hit any against the Shorts somehow in that game.... 

Prediction: Stampede win in a jack-off 
 
Moonshots Vs Stampede (Bottom 1st 1-0) 
Probable Starters 
Holden Palmer (STD) 
Will Smithey (MID) 
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A thunderstorm suspended this matchup last time out, the Moonshots were able to capitalize in some horrific wind from a Holden Slow pitch to give them a 1-0 lead before the game was called. Holden looked as good as ever at NWLA, and that slow pitch bomb may be all the moonshots get. Smithey returns fresh off a save at the NWLA championship, and I'd fully expect him to maintain this 1-run lead in the same fashion. 

Prediction: Moonshots win ​

Dustin Laugel