The Garfield Rams are taking a road trip to challenge the Maple Heights Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Garfield has given up an average of 18.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Monday just wasn't the day for Garfield's offense. They lost 24-0 to Firestone on Monday. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Rams' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Maple Heights). They blew past Richmond Heights 24-12 on Thursday. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Spartans recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Shawn Boyd made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 4.1 innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off only two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three runs. He has become a key player for Maple Heights: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-6 otherwise.
In other batting news, Xavier Mosley was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with eight stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Maple Heights' success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 2-7 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Stephen Tillis, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with five stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs.
Maple Heights was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2025.
Maple Heights' record now sits at 5-7. As for Garfield, their loss dropped their record down to 1-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Garfield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Maple Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
