The Mendon Unity Mustangs will head out to challenge the Beardstown Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Beardstown will be up against a hot Mendon Unity squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. Mendon Unity never let Augusta Southeastern get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Friday. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 12 runs or more this season.
Avery Frese made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Brym Parrish was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. Miles Moulton also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Beardstown). They were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over Rushville-Industry on Monday. The Tigers not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 30, 2024.
Like Mendon Unity, Beardstown also got a great game from a two-way player: Trey Riddell. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Riddell has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ethan Heller, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Tannar Riddell, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Beardstown always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
The win got Beardstown back to even at 2-2. As for Mendon Unity, their record is now 4-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mendon Unity has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Beardstown struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Mendon Unity's way against Beardstown in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Mendon Unity made off with an 8-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mendon Unity since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
