The Melba Mustangs will head out to take on the Parma Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Melba has eight straight wins, Parma has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Wednesday, Melba got the win against Vision by a conclusive 14-4. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won 14 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Jack Emery made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Max Jones was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Christopher Herbek, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Melba always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Vision only posted an OBP of .423.
Meanwhile, Parma came up short against New Plymouth on Tuesday and fell 12-8.
Silas Kling and Ethan Obenchain did some serious damage despite the final result: Kling went 4-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Obenchain went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Melba's record now sits at 18-2. As for Parma, their loss dropped their record down to 6-13.
Parma's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Melba hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. It's a different story for Parma, though, as they've only averaged .248. Will they be able to contain Melba's hitters?
Melba got the 'W' when the teams last played last Tuesday against Parma by a conclusive 6-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
