If Preston was riding high off their 14-3 takedown of Canyon Ridge last Wednesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Preston Indians fell just short of the Sugar-Salem Diggers by a score of 5-3 on Friday. Preston was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Sugar-Salem apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in April of 2018.
Jaxon Merrill made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
On Sugar-Salem's side, Dawson McInelly and Jackson Gardner made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, McInelly pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Gardner struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, McInelly scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Gardner went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tommy Woodcock, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Preston's loss dropped their record down to 6-8. As for Sugar-Salem, the win was the ninth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Preston will take on Pocatello at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Pocatello is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season. As for Sugar-Salem, they will head out on the road to square off against South Fremont at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Sugar-Salem is looking to tack on another W to their three-game streak on the road.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
