Mercer and West Middlesex are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2021, but likely not for long. The Mustangs will welcome the Big Reds at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mercer barely beat Reynolds the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Mustangs blew past the Raiders 11-2 on Wednesday. The win continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now won nine in a row.
Jayden Amos
| 05/07/25 @ Reynolds | 3 |
| 04/12/25 @ Sharpsville | 2 |
| 03/25/24 vs Reynolds | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Greenville | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ West Middlesex | 1 |
Jayden Amos made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has become a key player for Mercer: the team is undefeated when he allows at most three hits, but 3-4 otherwise. Amos was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Kameron Woods was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Adam Dupuis, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, West Middlesex hadn't done well against Sharpsville recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Big Reds' pitchers stepped up to hand the Blue Devils a 7-0 shutout. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Big Reds.
Like Mercer, West Middlesex also got a great game from a two-way player: Kyle Gilson. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over 6.1 innings pitched. Gilson has been consistent for a while: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Landon Zec, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
West Middlesex's victory bumped their record up to 10-6. As for Mercer, their win bumped their record up to 10-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mercer has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like West Middlesex struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Mercer's way against West Middlesex when the teams last played back in April, as Mercer made off with a 9-3 victory. Will the Mustangs repeat their success, or do the Big Reds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
