West Middlesex has not done well against Mercer recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The West Middlesex Big Reds narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Mercer Mustangs 3-1. For West Middlesex, this counts as revenge for the 6-0 defeat Mercer walked away with the last time they faced one another back in April.
Kaylee Long spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
On Mercer's side, Angelina Eakman was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 19 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. Eakman was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Eakman wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Pressley Washil, who went 1-for-3 with a triple.
Even though they lost, Mercer didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 19 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
West Middlesex now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Mercer, their record is now 10-4.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. West Middlesex will be staying on the road on Wednesday to face off against Mohawk Area at 4:15 p.m. Mohawk Area's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so West Middlesex's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Mercer, they will head out on the road to face off against Farrell at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Mercer is facing Farrell at the right time seeing as Farrell is stuck on a four-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
