Kirtland was the 6-3 winner over Berkshire when they last played one another on Monday, but their luck changed this time around. The Kirtland Hornets fell just short of the Berkshire Badgers by a score of 4-3 on Tuesday.
Trip Thaler was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Thaler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Thaler wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Will Bates, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Like Kirtland, Berkshire also got a great game from a two-way player: Patrick Brancel. He struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Brancel has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Brancel was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Kirtland has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-4 record this season. As for Berkshire, their win bumped their record up to 10-5.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Kirtland will face off against Lake Catholic at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Kirtland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season. As for Berkshire, they will head out on the road to challenge Kenston at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
