The River Valley Dust Devils are taking a road trip to square off against the Odyssey Institute Minotaur at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. River Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
River Valley's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Parker as they made off with a 10-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Dust Devils in their matchups with the Broncs: they've now won nine in a row.
Thomas Ramby tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mickey Smith was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he hit this season. Mickey Gonzalez was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, Odyssey Institute came up short against River Valley on Wednesday and fell 13-8. The defeat continues a trend for the Minotaur in their meetings with the Dust Devils: they've now lost five in a row.
Justin Bennett was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Jay Daughtery, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3.
River Valley's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Odyssey Institute, they now have a losing record of 4-5-1.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. River Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like Odyssey Institute struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
River Valley was able to grind out a solid victory over Odyssey Institute in their previous matchup on Wednesday, winning 13-8. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Dust Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
