Hernando had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They were the clear victor by a 13-6 margin over the Tupelo Golden Wave on Friday. Considering Hernando has won nine contests by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Thomas Mitchell tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Hernando got a massive performance out of Preston Johnson, who went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Meyer Maddox, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
On Tupelo's side, Dayne Wray was cooking despite his team's loss, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. Lake Reed was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
The victory was the fifth in a row for Hernando, bringing their record for this year to 21-5. As for Tupelo, their loss dropped their record down to 18-9.
Hernando will have a chance to go back-to-back against Tupelo: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
