The Palmer Bulldogs will look to defend their home field on Saturday against the Mildred Eagles at 11:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Palmer gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victor by a 19-5 margin over Village Tech. The win made it back-to-back victories for Palmer.
Landon Munoz made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed 4.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Munoz was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Tripp Harper was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with five RBI, a triple, and a run. Another player making a difference was Matty Martinez, who scored two runs and stole four bases while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Mildred had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs), and they went ahead and made it four last Monday. They never let the Bulldogs onto the board and left with a 9-0 victory. Give Mildred's pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Like Palmer, Mildred also got a great game from a two-way player: Luke McKendree. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out seven over 5.1 innings pitched. McKendree has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. McKendree was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Austin Wing, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Aiden Bates was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a triple and a run.
Palmer is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten contests, which provided a massive bump to their 8-11-1 record this season. As for Mildred, their win bumped their record up to 11-4-2.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Palmer has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .443. However, it's not like Mildred struggles in that department as they've averaged .484. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palmer skirted past Mildred 4-2 in their previous meeting back in March. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was McKendree, who pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Palmer still be able to contain McKendree? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
