Baseball Recap: Stratford Comes Up Short

Stratford extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping their season record down to 2-5-1 in the process. They came up short against the Brookfield Bobcats, falling 13-1. If the Red Devils were looking for revenge after losing 9-6 to the Bobcats when the teams met back in April of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

As for Brookfield, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. That looming 13-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for them yet this season.

For Brookfield's part, Matt McDowell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). McDowell has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Matt Ackerly, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was PJ Colla, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.

We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Stratford is set to take on their familiar foe Joel Barlow at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, Brookfield will square off against rival Bunnell at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.