The Mitchell Mustangs will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against the River Ridge Royal Knights at 8:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Mitchell: 2.4, River Ridge: 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Mitchell fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Wiregrass Ranch on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bulls by a score of 4-3. It was the first time this season that Mitchell let down their fans at home.
Taryn Newton spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Reagan Stephens made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Even though they lost, Mitchell didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with eight strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wiregrass Ranch only tossed four.
River Ridge can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Durant and snuck past 7-5.
River Ridge also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lillian Jackson gave up just zero earned (and five unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, River Ridge got a big performance out of Olivia James, who scored two runs and stole two bases. Another player making a difference was Emma Gutauskas, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Mitchell's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 6-3. As for River Ridge, they pushed their record up to 8-4 with that win, which was their sixth straight on the road.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mitchell has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .466. However, it's not like River Ridge struggles in that department as they've averaged .483. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mitchell came up short against River Ridge in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, falling 9-5. Can Mitchell avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
