The Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Whitehall Norse at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Melrose-Mindoro is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Melrose-Mindoro will head out to face Whitehall after giving up their first home loss of the season on Tuesday. The Mustangs came up short against Osseo-Fairchild, falling 11-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Mustangs have suffered since May 23, 2024.
Wade Adams made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Brewer Schlifer also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Whitehall came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 3.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Cardinals.
Mason Pientok made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Pientok was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alex Sartor, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was William Youngbauer, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Whitehall pushed their record up to 7-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Melrose-Mindoro, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-4.
Melrose-Mindoro skirted past Whitehall 11-10 when the teams last played back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.