The Platte Valley Broncos will head out on the road to take on the Fort Morgan Mustangs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Platte Valley put up the most runs they have all season on Wednesday. They blew past Liberty Common 19-9. The result was nothing new for the Broncos, who have now won seven matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Platte Valley got a massive performance out of Jeremiah Molinar, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. That's the most runs Molinar has posted over his last 11 games. Another player making a difference was Hudson Flummerfelt, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Platte Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Fort Morgan was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They lost 19-10 to Valley.
JJ Marquez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and seven unearned) runs off four hits.
At the plate, Angel Lopez was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Jadin Carrera was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Platte Valley pushed their record up to 10-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Fort Morgan, their loss dropped their record down to 5-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Platte Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fort Morgan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
