Malone was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They fell just short of the Vernon Yellowjackets by a score of 6-5. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Malone of the 15-0 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture last Tuesday.
Hoke Harkrider was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (he also only allowed one walk). Harkrider was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Harkrider wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Ford, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. Ford has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Joseph Bowden was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
On Vernon's side, the team relied heavily on Ayden Morales, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and an RBI.
Malone's defeat dropped their record down to 3-11. As for Vernon, the win was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 6-5.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Malone will challenge Graceville at 5:45 p.m. on Monday. Malone is facing Graceville at the right time seeing as Graceville is stuck on an eight-game losing streak. As for Vernon, they will head out on the road to take on Emmanuel Christian at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Emmanuel Christian hasn't scored more than two runs for six games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
