Rocky Ford had lost six straight at home dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped down to 0-8 to make it seven. They took a 10-7 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Kiowa Indians. That's two games in a row now that the Meloneers have lost by exactly three runs.
Fabian Ortega put in work no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Ortega was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Shayne Gonzales and Hayden Reynolds stepped up to the plate in a big way. Gonzales went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Reynolds went 3-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those RBI were Reynolds' first of the season.
As for Kiowa, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 6-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs over those games.
Like Rocky Ford, Kiowa also got a great game from a two-way player: Rowan Golden. He struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits (and only one walk). Golden has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. He has become a key player for Kiowa: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-2 otherwise.
In other batting news, Caden Watt was excellent, going 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Austin Hundley was another key player, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Rocky Ford didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 10-0 win against Center on the 7th. As for Kiowa, they have also already played their next matchup, an 11-1 defeat against Evangel Christian Academy on the 4th.
