Onaga had lost four straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped down to 6-10 to make it five. They fell just short of the Valley Heights Mustangs by a score of 4-2. Unfortunately, that's the fourth time they've come up short against the Mustangs this season, with their most recent loss being a 6-4 defeat on Thursday.
Onaga saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryder Kolterman, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases.
As for Valley Heights, the victory (which was their seventh in a row) raised their record to 9-7. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games.
On Valley Heights' side, Ben Miller made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Miller is becoming a predictor of Valley Heights' success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 5-1 (and 4-6 when he doesn't). Miller was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Preston Smerchek, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Gavin Crowder was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Onaga will welcome Wabaunsee at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Valley Heights, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Frankfort at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
