The Middletown Mustangs will head out on the road to take on the Kelseyville Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Middletown has given up an average of 8.3 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cloverdale hit Middletown with a seven-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Mustangs fell 15-10 to the Eagles. The Mustangs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Tyler Galamay made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Hunter Karp also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Kelseyville came out on top against Lower Lake on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run third inning. The Knights put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 12-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won eight in a row.
Gene Holdenried made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kyle Watkins, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Max Hommer was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs.
Kelseyville pushed their record up to 13-3 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.6 runs over those games. As for Middletown, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-10-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Middletown has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kelseyville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Middletown suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Kelseyville when the teams last played on April 7th. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
