The Montgomery Cougars are taking a road trip to square off against the Rutgers Prep Argonauts at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Montgomery took an 11-run defeat the last time they faced off against Hamilton, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over the Hornets on Wednesday.
Montgomery secured the victory behind a pair of hitters. One of them was Ian Quinn, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Those two RBI gave Quinn a new career-high.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Rutgers Prep and Montgomery had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Argonauts blew past the Cougars 10-0 on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Argonauts, who have now won three matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Rutgers Prep also got a great performance from Peter Wheeler as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Matt Bilmes was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Rutgers Prep's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-2 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Micah Krugar-Serrano, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Rutgers Prep hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Rutgers Prep's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Montgomery, their record now sits at 5-8-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Montgomery has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rutgers Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Montgomery suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Rutgers Prep in their previous meeting on Tuesday. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
