For the second straight game, Independence will face off against Mantachie. The Wildcats will take on the Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Independence is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
Independence heads in on the heels of a playoff game on Friday. They lost 10-1 to Mantachie. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Wildcats, who until this matchup were averaging 3.55 runs allowed.
For Mantachie's part, Elijah Morgan made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. That's the most strikeouts Morgan has posted since back in February. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Mason Jenkins was incredible, going 4-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Kash Witcher was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Mantachie was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .457. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Independence moved to 19-10 with that loss, which also ended their eight-game winning streak. As for Mantachie, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-18.
Mantachie's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. It's a different story for Mantachie, though, as they've only averaged .342. Will they be able to contain Independence's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps