The Melba Mustangs will head out on the road to square off against the North Star Huskies at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Melba is no doubt hoping to put an end to a five-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Melba fell victim to Cole Valley Christian and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They suffered a rough 12-0 defeat at the hands of the Chargers. The loss was just more heartbreak for Melba, who fell 6-4 when the teams last met back in April of 2023.
Meanwhile, North Star has not done well against New Plymouth recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. North Star walked away with a 10-6 win over New Plymouth.
Cole Young made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up six earned runs off five hits. Young was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, Jace Irwin was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Luke Fox, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Melba's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for North Star, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Melba has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like North Star struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Melba skirted past North Star 6-5 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was North Star's Daniel Kormylo, who struck out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Now that he won't be playing on Wednesday, will it be that much easier for Melba to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
