Independence had lost eight straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 2-15 to make it nine. They lost 21-4 to the Gunderson Grizzlies. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Grizzlies this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 18-0 two weeks ago.
As for Gunderson, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 9-8. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by six runs or more this season.
For Gunderson's part, Brandon Salgado made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off one hit. Those seven strikeouts gave Salgado a new career-high. He was even better at the plate, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. Gunderson is undefeated when Salgado posts three or more RBI, but 6-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, JD Murillo was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Gunderson's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-8 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Dominic Lake, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple.
We've got plenty of inter-league action coming up soon. Independence will square off against rival James Lick at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Gunderson is set to face off against their familiar foe San Jose at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
