vs
| 04/11/24 - Away | 7-4 W |
| 04/09/24 - Home | 13-4 W |
| 03/13/24 - Away | 8-5 W |
| 04/13/23 - Home | 5-0 W |
| 04/11/23 - Away | 5-1 W |
| + 5 more games |
Montgomery is 9-1 against Santa Rosa since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. Montgomery will challenge Santa Rosa at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Montgomery and Piner, and Montgomery kept the tradition alive. Montgomery put the hurt on Piner with a sharp 16-2 victory on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Vikings in their matchups with the Prospectors: they've now won five in a row.
Chace Russell made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Russell was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Justin Howard was incredible, scoring five runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Thomas Coleman also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Santa Rosa was not the first on the board on Wednesday, but they got there more often. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over St. Vincent de Paul. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Like Montgomery, Santa Rosa also got a great game from a two-way player: Cal Faircloth. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest earned runs Faircloth has allowed since back in February of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mason Rizo, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Anthonie Navarro, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
The win got Santa Rosa back to even at 4-4. As for Montgomery, their record now sits at 2-4.
Montgomery beat Santa Rosa 7-4 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will Montgomery repeat their success, or does Santa Rosa has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
