South Shore International had lost seven straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Tuesday they dropped their record down to 1-9 to make it eight. They lost 17-5 to the ACERO Garcia Patriots. The Tars were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Patriots earlier this season, when they won 6-0.
Dion Johnson was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. He also got a hit, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Elijah Okunlola, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
As for ACERO Garcia, their record is now 7-3. The high-scoring effort was just what they needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
On ACERO Garcia's side, Andres Cruz was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over four innings while giving up five earned runs off three hits. Those eight strikeouts gave Cruz a new career-high. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, ACERO Garcia got a massive performance out of Sebastian Villegas, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Luis Gomez Vivas, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
Looking ahead, South Shore International will face off against Juarez at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Eagles have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 9.55 runs per game on average), something the Tars will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for ACERO Garcia, they will square off against Agricultural Science at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
