The Mt. Gilead Indians will head out on the road to take on the Elgin Comets at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Mt. Gilead will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Mt. Gilead had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Ridgedale on Friday. The Indians put the hurt on the Rockets with a sharp 6-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Indians, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
The result came thanks to Hayden Somerlot's shutout, as he gave up just five hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gage Baker, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Young, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Elgin couldn't beat Fairbanks on Friday even though they stacked four runs on them in the fourth inning. The Comets lost 19-4 to the Panthers. The Comets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Elgin saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Aiden Anderson, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Mt. Gilead's win bumped their record up to 16-7. As for Elgin, their loss dropped their record down to 10-12.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mt. Gilead has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Elgin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mt. Gilead beat Elgin 7-2 when the teams last played two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
