Baseball Game Preview: Kent-Meridian Royals vs. Auburn Mountainview Lions

Kent-Meridian hasn't had much luck against Auburn Mountainview recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Royals will look to defend their home field against the Lions at 4:00 p.m. Auburn Mountainview took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Kent-Meridian, who comes in off a win.

Kent-Meridian barely beat Beamer the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Royals were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Titans last Tuesday. The matchup marked the Royals' most dominant victory of the season.

Chantz Dollente made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Kent-Meridian is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 1-8 otherwise. Dollente was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.

In other batting news, Kade Cagampang was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Kevin Castellanos, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Auburn Mountainview came up short against Beamer on Thursday and fell 5-1.

Kent-Meridian's win ended a ten-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-9. As for Auburn Mountainview, they dropped their record down to 5-8 with the defeat, which was their sixth straight at home.

Kent-Meridian suffered a grim 15-0 defeat to Auburn Mountainview when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Royals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.