The St. Helena Saints are taking a road trip to challenge the Middletown Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Middletown took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on St. Helena, who comes in off a win.
On Friday, it was close, but St. Helena sidestepped Lower Lake for a 2-1 victory.
St. Helena's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Henry Ray, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one double. Another was Sam Beck, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double.
St. Helena hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lower Lake struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, Middletown was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They fell 16-11 to Fort Bragg.
Hayden Xavier made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 4-for-5 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. He also hit a triple, marking his first of the season. Hunter Karp was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.
Middletown's defeat dropped their record down to 4-14-1. As for St. Helena, their victory bumped their record up to 15-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Helena has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Middletown struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went St. Helena's way against Middletown in their previous matchup back in March, as St. Helena made off with a 9-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Saints since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
