Mercer County extended their losing streak to 12 on Thursday, dropping them down to 2-16. They came up short against the Riverdale Rams, falling 15-5. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Rams this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 on Monday.
Mercer County saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nathan Matlick, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
As for Riverdale, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 15-6. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won ten matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
On Riverdale's side, Gaege Heinsen and Tyler Nadolson were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Heinsen struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Nadolson tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At bat, Heinsen went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI, while Nadolson went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave Nadolson a new career-high.
In other batting news, Riverdale let Jackson Fritch and Austin Duke run wild. Fritch got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI, while Duke got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three runs and two RBI. Those three runs gave Duke a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kyle Wright, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Mercer County will face off against Monmouth-Roseville at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Riverdale, they will head out to face off against Hall at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Rams' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Red Devils have averaged an impressive 6.3 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps