Baseball Game Preview: Merkel Badgers vs. San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy Eagles

For the second straight game, Merkel will face off against San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy. The Badgers will challenge the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Someone's luck will take a turn for the better: Merkel has lost three straight at home , while San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy has lost ten on the road (dating back to last season).

Merkel is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy 21-1 on Friday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Badgers as it put an end to their six-game losing streak.

Easton Malone was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Merkel is undefeated when Malone posts two or more runs, but 7-9-1 otherwise.

In other batting news, Payson Prieto was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four RBI and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mayson Prieto, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.

Merkel kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.

San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 1-12. As for Merkel, they now have a winning record of 10-9-1.

San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Merkel has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .440. It's a different story for San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy, though, as they've only averaged .304. Will they be able to contain Merkel's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.