Austin is 0-6 against Galena Park since February of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Austin Mustangs will head out on the road to challenge the Galena Park Yellowjackets at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Austin came tearing into Saturday's contest with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.1 runs) and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Panthers as they made off with a 10-2 win. That's two games straight that Austin has won by exactly eight runs.
Jason Fuentes was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (he also only allowed one walk). Fuentes has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive pitching appearances. Fuentes was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and two RBI.
In other batting news, Carlos Medina and Sam Moreno did most of the damage at the plate: Medina scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Moreno scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Andrew Hernandez, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Galena Park waltzed into their game on Saturday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They were the clear victor by a 13-1 margin over the Marlins.
Like Austin, Galena Park also got a great game from a two-way player: Jason Soto. Throwing, Soto pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Meanwhile, Raul Betancourt III pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Soto scored a run while going 1-for-1, while Betancourt III went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Fabian Cantu and Daniel Gomez dominated on the mound. Cantu tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk), while Gomez pitched an inning while giving up no earned run off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, Hector Arrieta was excellent, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Joel Jimenez was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Austin has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. As for Galena Park, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-7.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Austin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. However, it's not like Galena Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .455. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Austin suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Galena Park when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Austin, Nehomar Ochoa (who fired off two home runs, two stolen bases, and five RBI while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
