Mentor has gone a perfect 5-0 against Kirtland recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Cardinals will look to defend their home field against the Hornets at 4:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Mentor 3.2, Kirtland 3.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Mentor came out on top against North on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fifth inning. The Cardinals took their contest against the Rangers 6-3. The win continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Rangers: they've now won four in a row.
Will Link and Jacob Gunvelson dominated on the mound. Link tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit, while Gunvelson tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Gunvelson has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
Jake McCartney
| 05/12/25 @ North | 2 |
| 05/09/25 @ University School | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Riverside | 1 |
| 05/06/24 @ Medina | 1 |
| 04/16/24 @ Shaker Heights | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jake McCartney, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Brayden Bortnick was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Mentor lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Kirtland gave up the first runs on Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 6-3 victory over West Geauga.
Max Paul spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Tyler Turk was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Luzar, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Kirtland's win bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Mentor, their victory bumped their record up to 15-4.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mentor hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. However, it's not like Kirtland struggles in that department as they've averaged .353. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mentor was able to grind out a solid win over Kirtland when the teams last played back in May of 2021, winning 5-0. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hornets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
