Damonte Ranch hasn't had much luck against Douglas recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Mustangs will head out on the road to take on the Tigers at 3:45 p.m. The last three games Damonte Ranch has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Damonte Ranch took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against McQueen, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Mustangs narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Lancers 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Mustangs have posted against the Lancers since April 22, 2023.
Matthew Bonczyk looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits.
Jake Wigfield
| 04/22/25 vs McQueen | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Spanish Springs | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Bishop Manogue | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs Bishop Manogue | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Carson | 1 |
On the hitting side, Damonte Ranch's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jake Wigfield, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Those two hits gave Wigfield a new career-high. Dalton Millsaps also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Douglas can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They blew past Carson 7-1.
Jackson Ovard made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one double. Douglas is undefeated when Ovard posts one or more home runs, but 6-13 otherwise.
In other pitching news, Duncan Delange looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has become a key player for Douglas: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 6-13 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Aiden Tarlo was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Douglas' success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 6-12 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Jeffrey Peters, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Douglas was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Damonte Ranch's record is now 3-15. As for Douglas, their record now sits at 9-13.
Damonte Ranch suffered a grim 15-6 defeat to Douglas in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
