Monrovia has not done well against Martinsville recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Monrovia Bulldogs sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Martinsville Artesians. That's two games straight that Monrovia has won by exactly two runs.
Brendon Stwalley tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brayton Belcher, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
On Martinsville's side, Alex Kush spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on two hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Carter Dawson was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
The victory (which was Monrovia's third in a row) raised their record to 12-11. As for Martinsville, they are on a 13-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-20.
Monrovia will head out on the road to face off against Beech Grove at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Monrovia is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season. As for Martinsville, they will be playing at home against Decatur Central at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
