The Liberty Eagles will head out to face off against the Mendon Unity Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Liberty has given up an average of 7.8 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Wednesday just wasn't the day for Liberty's offense. They lost 16-0 to Rushville-Industry on Wednesday. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mendon Unity). They put the hurt on Bushnell-Prairie City with a sharp 23-2 victory on Thursday. With that win, the Mustangs brought their scoring average up to 7.2 runs per game.
The team relied heavily on Blake Arnsman, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Kendall Knox was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one triple.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Mendon Unity kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.4 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 11.
The victory made it two in a row for Mendon Unity and bumps their season record up to 7-5. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 20.5 runs over those games. As for Liberty, their loss dropped their record down to 6-6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Liberty has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mendon Unity struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Liberty beat Mendon Unity 12-9 in their previous meeting on April 8th. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
