Rossville dropped their record down to 18-5 on Saturday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins at home. They fell just short of the North Montgomery Chargin' Chargers by a score of 7-5. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Hornets of the 18-1 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2023.
RJ Vantuinen was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Andrew Woolen, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
As for North Montgomery, they have been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games.
On North Montgomery's side, Crew Cole and Aiden Ambriz-Cruz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Cole pitched 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Meanwhile, Ambriz-Cruz pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. At bat, Cole got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Ambriz-Cruz went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Cade Cole and Nolyn Brown did most of the damage at the plate: Cade went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Brown went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Carter Thompson also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Looking ahead, Rossville will head out on the road to challenge Northwestern at 5:00 p.m. on the 26th. As for North Montgomery, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Tri-West Hendricks at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
