The Eastern Montgomery Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the Highland Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Eastern Montgomery will be strutting in after a victory while Highland will be coming in after a loss.
On Tuesday, Eastern Montgomery earned a 6-2 win over Craig County. Despite the victory, that was the fewest runs Eastern Montgomery has scored all year.
Austin Tate spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on three hits and racked up 13 Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Eastern Montgomery's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Howard, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Drew Smith, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Highland won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Monday. They wound up on the wrong side of a tough 10-2 walloping at the hands of Tygarts Valley.
Highland saw one different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was John Wagner, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Eastern Montgomery's victory bumped their record up to 7-3. As for Highland, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-2.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Eastern Montgomery has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .488. However, it's not like Highland struggles in that department as they've averaged .432. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Eastern Montgomery might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Highland in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can Eastern Montgomery avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
