The Garden Spot Spartans are taking a road trip to square off against the Cocalico Eagles at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Garden Spot has given up an average of 6.5 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Donegal hit Garden Spot with a 11-run sixth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Spartans came up short against the Indians, falling 15-5. The defeat continues a trend for the Spartans in their meetings with the Indians: they've now lost eight in a row.
Ryder Hertzler put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off three hits. Hertzler was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Cocalico lost 12-4 to Solanco on Thursday.
Like Garden Spot, Cocalico also got a great game from a two-way player: Alex Fox. He struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off five hits. What's more, Fox gave up only two walks, the fewest he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Cocalico is 2-1 when Fox posts three or more hits, but 0-14 otherwise.
Fox wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Dane Horning, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base. Nick McArdle also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Garden Spot now has a losing record of 9-10. As for Cocalico, they dropped their record down to 2-15 with the loss, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season.
Garden Spot beat Cocalico 8-3 when the teams last played back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
