Baseball Game Preview: Allen Mustangs vs. Varnum Whippets

The Allen Mustangs will head out to take on the Varnum Whippets at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

Things were looking good for Allen after they put the first runs on the board on Thursday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They lost 11-2 to Wilburton.

Allen saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Hill, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Varnum waltzed into their match on Friday with ten straight wins... but they left with 11. They were the clear victors by a 14-5 margin over the Chieftains. The result was nothing new for the Whippets, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Payton Romines was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Romines was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. Romines is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season.

In other batting news, Chance Winsett and Devyn Fullbright did most of the damage at the plate: Winsett scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Fullbright scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Fullbright is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Ben Suarez was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.

Varnum was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.

Varnum's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-5. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Allen, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-6 record this season.

Everything went Allen's way against Varnum in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, as Allen made off with a 14-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.