vs
| 04/16/24 - Home | 4-6 L |
| 04/18/23 - Away | 6-10 L |
| 04/07/22 - Away | 7-4 W |
| 04/05/22 - Home | 5-4 W |
| 05/26/21 - Away | 13-8 W |
| + 5 more games |
Mullen and Grandview are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Mustangs will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Wolves at 4:15 p.m. Mullen is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
Mullen is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Colorado's top teams: Arapahoe, who was ranked ninth at the time (Mullen was ranked 25th). The Mustangs fell just short of the Warriors by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday. That's two games in a row now that the Mustangs have lost by just one run.
Jake Clark was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Gavin Marsh stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Charlie Krza was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Grandview had just enough and edged out Cherokee Trail 3-1 on Tuesday. That's two games straight that the Wolves have won by exactly two runs.
Jax Pfister was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other pitching news, Nick Martensen looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit.
Pfister wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was AJ Maroni, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Grandview pushed their record up to 11-3 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Mullen, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mullen has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Grandview struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mullen couldn't quite finish off Grandview when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 6-4. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
