The Old Forge Blue Devils will venture away from home to challenge the Montrose Meteors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Old Forge will be strutting in after a win while Montrose will be coming in after a loss.
Old Forge barely beat Lakeland the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Chiefs on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Devils in their matchups with the Chiefs: they've now won eight in a row.
Jake Iacavazzi and Cam Krushnowski did most of the damage at the plate: Iacavazzi went 3-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Krushnowski went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of TJ DiMattia, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Old Forge kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lakeland only managed four hits.
Meanwhile, Montrose didn't have quite enough to beat Mountain View on Thursday and fell 5-4. The Meteors have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Christopher McGee was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Adam Sorensen made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Hudson Aukema was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Montrose's defeat dropped their record down to 7-7. As for Old Forge, their win bumped their record up to 12-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Old Forge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Montrose struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Old Forge skirted past Montrose 7-5 when the teams last played back in May of 2019. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Meteors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
