The Middletown Mustangs will take on the Fort Bragg Timberwolves at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Middletown has struggled recently with four losses in a row, while Fort Bragg will arrive with four straight victories.
On Tuesday, Middletown didn't have quite enough to beat Lower Lake and fell 9-8.
Jon Hawkins
| 03/10/25 vs Willits | 3 |
| 04/29/25 @ Lower Lake | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Willits | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Kelseyville | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Credo | 1 |
Jon Hawkins put in work no matter where he played. He struck out ten batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Middletown's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 2-11-1 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Hayden Xavier was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Austin Davis was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Fort Bragg and Clear Lake have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Tuesday. The Timberwolves walked away with a 6-3 win over the Cardinals.
Tyler Casey looked comfortable as he pitched 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chris Hernandez, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Beau Hebden, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Fort Bragg's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Middletown, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-12-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Middletown has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Fort Bragg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Middletown couldn't quite get it done against Fort Bragg when the teams last played back in April as they fell 7-2. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
