East Wilkes hasn't had much luck against Mount Airy recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cardinals will challenge the Granite Bears at 4:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Mount Airy will be up against a hot East Wilkes squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Cardinals blew past Elkin 9-1 on Monday.
Elijah Johnson tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March.
Meanwhile, Mount Airy got themselves on the board against Alleghany on Monday, but Alleghany never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Trojans with a sharp 11-0 victory. That 11 run margin sets a new team best for the Granite Bears this season.
Bryson Grey made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Mount Airy is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 6-11 otherwise. Grey was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.
Grey wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Landon Gallimore, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Mount Airy is undefeated when Gallimore posts two or more runs, but 6-12 otherwise. Another was Garrett Norman, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Mount Airy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Alleghany only posted an OBP of .125.
Mount Airy pushed their record up to 9-12 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for East Wilkes, their win bumped their record up to 14-6.
East Wilkes skirted past Mount Airy 5-4 in their previous matchup back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
