Wilson is on a six-game streak of home losses dating back to last season, and Manning a four-game streak of away losses also dating back to last season. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Friday. The Wilson Tigers will host the Manning Monarchs at 6:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Ridge View hit Wilson with a ten-run seventh inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers fell just short of the Blazers by a score of 16-15. Even though they lost, the Tigers' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.2 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Mark Law put in work no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Law was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Cruz Freeman made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Buntin, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Manning never let their opponents score on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Scott's Branch as they made off with a 15-0 win. Considering the Monarchs' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
The team relied heavily on CJ Robinson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Lovell Stevenson, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI.
Manning always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .680. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Wilson's defeat dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Manning, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Everything went Wilson's way against Manning when the teams last played on Monday, as Wilson made off with a 21-0 win. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Monarchs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
