Hammond Morton had a rough season last year, but they look ready to turn that poor record around this year. They walked away with an 11-7 victory over the Morgan Township Cherokees on Monday. Hammond Morton's win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Niko Rodriguez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. Rodriguez has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Rodriguez was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
In other pitching news, Alex Rodriguez looked comfortable as he tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also didn't allow any walks).
Back at the plate, Billy Vukobratovich was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Nate George, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
On Morgan Township's side, Clint Lemmons was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Bradley Farris was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Hammond Morton's victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hammond Morton will square off against Hammond Bishop Noll at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. As for Morgan Township, they will head out on the road to face off against Culver Academies at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
