The Auburn Riverside Ravens will square off against the Mt. Rainier Rams at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Auburn Riverside 3.4, Mt. Rainier 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Auburn Riverside fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Kennedy Catholic on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lancers by a score of 3-2. The Ravens have struggled against the Lancers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Kaeden Morgan was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Andre Muneton made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double. Cameron Bain was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Mt. Rainier owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Wednesday. They walked away with a 3-0 win over Auburn. The victory was some much needed relief for the Rams as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Rylan Keane made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Mt. Rainier is 5-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 2-4 otherwise. Keane was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
Keane wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Enghusen, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Ray Krull also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Auburn Riverside's defeat dropped their record down to 7-5. As for Mt. Rainier, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Auburn Riverside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mt. Rainier struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.