Durango had lost five straight on the road, but on Friday they dropped down to 5-8 to make it six. They came up short against the Faith Lutheran Crusaders, falling 7-0. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Crusaders this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 6-0 on Monday.
Durango got a good showing from Brett Farrell, who tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Farrell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Durango saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Luke Desoto, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
As for Faith Lutheran, the win got them back to even at 7-7. Considering they have won six matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
On Faith Lutheran's side, not much got past Dylan Othick, who gave up just a hit and racked up nine Ks to keep Durango off the board. Othick also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Crusaders are 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 5-6 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Bennett Gonzales was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Faith Lutheran's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-7 when he doesn't). Ethan Gordon was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Durango wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next contest, a 3-1 defeat against Las Vegas on the 28th. As for Faith Lutheran, they also didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, an 8-0 victory against Miami Christian on the 30th.
