The North Ridgeville Rangers will head out on the road to challenge the Mentor Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Ridgeville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
North Ridgeville's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over Elyria. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rangers.
Gannon Padgett
| 05/19/25 @ Elyria | 3 |
| 04/15/25 @ Elyria | 2 |
| 05/13/24 @ Lakewood | 0 |
| 04/30/24 vs Avon Lake | 4 |
Gannon Padgett and Enmanuel Ramos were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Padgett pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Ramos pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Padgett posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. At bat, Padgett went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Ramos went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Daniel Lowe was incredible, going 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Michael Kuna, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
North Ridgeville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Mentor took on Cleveland Heights on Tuesday. The Cardinals came out on top in a nail-biter against the Tigers, sneaking past 7-5. That's two games straight that the Cardinals have won by exactly two runs.
Mentor got several good pitching performances, but Carmello Stropko was perhaps the best, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Austin Vanhuss, who went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and one RBI. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Tyson Cendrowski was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
North Ridgeville's record now sits at 19-3. As for Mentor, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season.
Mentor's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. North Ridgeville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Mentor, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will North Ridgeville keep running through batters, or will the Cardinals buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
