The Dunmore Bucks will head out to square off against the Riverside Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Dunmore fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Holy Redeemer on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Royals by a score of 9-7.
Evan Mizenko was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Mizenko was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Jamie McMynne and Luis Arias stepped up to the plate in a big way. McMynne went 3-for-5 with two runs, while Arias went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jimmy Clark, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Riverside entered their tilt with Honesdale on Thursday with four consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with five. They blew past the Hornets 10-4. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won 13 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Dunmore, Riverside also got a great game from a two-way player: Cooper Borowski. He tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Borowski was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Chris Graff was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jason Posluszny, who went 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Riverside was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .333 or higher in five consecutive matchups.
Dunmore's loss dropped their record down to 10-7. As for Riverside, their record now sits at 16-1.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Dunmore has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Riverside struggles in that department as they've averaged .498. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Dunmore suffered a grim 14-8 defeat to Riverside when the teams last played back in April. Can the Bucks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
