Merrill had lost five straight on the road, but on Wednesday they dropped down to 6-9 to make it six. They lost 14-4 to the Ithaca Yellowjackets. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Yellowjackets this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 16-1 on Wednesday.
As for Ithaca, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 17-9. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games.
For Ithaca's part, Greyson Merchant looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Merchant has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Connor McMurphy was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. Ithaca is undefeated when McMurphy posts two or more runs, but 8-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Brady Paradise, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Coming up, Merrill will take on Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy at 12:00 p.m. on the 30th. The Dragons have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 14 runs per game on average), something the Vandals will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Ithaca, they will venture away from home to take on Breckenridge at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
