Manor is 0-10 against Maury since May of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Mustangs will square off against the Commodores at 4:00 p.m. Manor has given up an average of 11.6 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Oscar Smith hit Manor with a nine-run second inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Mustangs came up short against the Tigers, falling 14-0.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Maury). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Norview a 25-0 shutout on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Blake Cushman and Walter Rieger were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Cushman struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Rieger pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Cushman has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Cushman went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Rieger went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Landen Hall and Lee Garris did most of the damage at the plate: Hall went 3-for-6 with one home run, eight RBI, and three runs, while Garris went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those eight RBI gave Hall a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Toren Lassalle, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Maury kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Maury is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Manor, their loss dropped their record down to 5-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Manor has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Maury struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Manor might still be hurting after the 23-1 defeat they got from Maury when the teams last played back in April. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
