Baseball Game Preview: Mt. Vernon Wildcats vs. Mt. Carmel Golden Aces

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Previous Games

04/26/24 - Home	3-11 L
04/28/23 - Away	5-6 L
04/29/22 - Home	15-12 W
05/01/21 - Away	14-10 W
05/03/19 - Home	5-0 W
+ 4 more games

Mt. Vernon is 7-2 against Mt. Carmel since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Wildcats will challenge the Golden Aces at 5:00 p.m. Mt. Vernon has now lost 11 straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since April 1.

On Thursday, Mt. Vernon didn't have quite enough to beat Perry Central and fell 2-1.

Luke Weintraut spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up ten Ks.

Meanwhile, Mt. Carmel hadn't done well against Richland County recently (they were 0-7 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Golden Aces blew past the Tigers 13-3. The Golden Aces might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by eight runs or more this season.

Brendan Bowser and Will Reed were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Bowser struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Reed pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the most strikeouts Bowser has posted since back in April. At bat, Bowser went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Reed went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.

In other batting news, Ryder Sloss was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Santiago Guanipa, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.

Mt. Carmel always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Mt. Vernon's defeat dropped their record down to 1-11. As for Mt. Carmel, their record is now 10-8.

Mt. Vernon might still be hurting after the 11-3 loss they got from Mt. Carmel in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.