Mansfield Christian extended their losing streak to five on Saturday, dropping their season record down to 2-13 in the process. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 12-11 heartbreaker at the hands of Genoa Christian Academy. While the Flames didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating Genoa Christian Academy 4-0 in the first period.
Joshua Hillman put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only four hits, the fewest he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other batting news, JR Reeder made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Landan McRae was another key player, going 1-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
As for Genoa Christian Academy, they moved to 4-7 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak. With that win, they brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Like Mansfield Christian, Genoa Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Carson Mauter. He struck out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up four earned (and seven unearned) runs off 12 hits. Mauter has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Genoa Christian Academy: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 0-7 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Vinny Messana, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Genoa Christian Academy's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 2-6 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Micah Kline, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
While Mansfield Christian had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair will be back at it again later today.
