Atherton had lost three straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 3-6 to make it four. They lost 19-1 to the Bendle Tigers. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Wolverines of the 9-1 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.
As for Bendle, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-3 record this season. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by eight runs or more this season.
For Bendle's part, Landon Mattis was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Mattis has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with five stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Bendle's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-3 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Bendle got a massive performance out of Kaden Mattis, who went 3-for-4 with five stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. The Tigers are undefeated when Mattis posts two or more stolen bases, but 2-3 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashton Rodriguez, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with six stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
The teams didn't have to wait long for a rematch: Bendle beat Atherton by a score of 5-2 later that day.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
