If Albemarle was feeling good off their 11-1 takedown of Charlottesville last Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Albemarle Patriots lost 8-2 to the Monticello Mustangs on Monday. Albemarle has not had much luck with Monticello recently, as the team's come up short the last seven times they've met.
Ava Whitman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on five hits.
At the plate, Albemarle saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mari Coles, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
On Monticello's side, Madison Steppe made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. Steppe has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in ten consecutive pitching appearances. Steppe was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles.
In other batting news, Monticello let Sammi Deitsch and Willow Barr loose on the outfield. Deitsch went 2-for-4 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI, while Barr scored a run and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. Deitsch is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Dorothy Shoup, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Albemarle's loss dropped their record down to 4-14. As for Monticello, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-5.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Albemarle will take on Louisa County at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Louisa County's pitching crew has only allowed 1.9 runs per game this season, so Albemarle's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Monticello, they will be playing at home against Orange County at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Monticello is on a seven-game streak of home wins, Orange County a nine-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the field.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
