Hunter had lost 11 straight at home dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 0-17 to make it 12. They came up short against the Granger Lancers, falling 17-3. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Lancers this season, with their most recent loss being a 10-1 defeat on Wednesday.
Noah Francom and Thomas Woodruff stepped up to the plate in a big way. Francom went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run, while Woodruff went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That run was Francom's first of the season. Brendan Brito was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases.
As for Granger, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 6-12. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
On Granger's side, Raniero Gonzalez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Gonzalez was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Granger got a massive performance out of Max Pace, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases, two runs, and one double. The Lancers are 2-1 when Pace posts two or more stolen bases, but 4-11 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Anthony Spicer, who went 3-for-6 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Hunter will get a bit of extra time to process the defeat as their next game is a ways off. They'll take on Murray at 3:30 p.m. on the 29th. As for Granger, they will challenge West Jordan at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Lancers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Jaguars have averaged an impressive 10.1 runs per game this season.
