The Beech Grove Hornets will look to defend their home field on Tuesday against the Monrovia Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m.
Last Saturday, Beech Grove came up short against Jennings County and fell 9-6.
Brayden Cruse and Guerin Boshears did some serious damage despite the final result: Cruse went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI, while Boshears went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a triple. Another player making a difference was Tucker McDonald, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Monrovia entered their tilt with Martinsville with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Artesians on Monday and snuck past 5-3. That's two games straight that Monrovia has won by exactly two runs.
Brendon Stwalley tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Brayton Belcher was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Beech Grove has traveled a rocky road recently having lost 12 of their last 13 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-20 record this season. As for Monrovia, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Beech Grove has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Monrovia struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Beech Grove came up short against Monrovia in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, falling 7-2. Thankfully for Beech Grove, Darius Compton (who went 2-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two RBI) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
