The Riverside Vikings will square off against the Dunmore Bucks at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Riverside knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Dunmore likes a good challenge.
Riverside barely beat Honesdale the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Vikings blew past the Hornets 10-4 on Thursday. The Vikings might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Cooper Borowski made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Borowski was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Chris Graff was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Caleb Sosa was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Riverside kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Dunmore fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Holy Redeemer on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Royals by a score of 9-7.
Like Riverside, Dunmore also got a great game from a two-way player: Evan Mizenko. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Mizenko was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Jamie McMynne and Luis Arias did some serious damage despite the final result: McMynne went 3-for-5 with two runs, while Arias went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jimmy Clark, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Riverside's victory was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Dunmore, their loss dropped their record down to 10-7.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Riverside has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .498. However, it's not like Dunmore struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Riverside's way against Dunmore in their previous meeting back in April, as Riverside made off with a 14-8 victory. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bucks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
