The RAA Rams and Montford Mustangs met up at Chiles High School for an early season matchup in baseball, which is played as a part of winter season 1 by Leon County middle schools. RAA won a close 4-3 game with Fairview the week before, and Montford shut out Cobb 5-0.
The pitching matchup was the Rams’ Hunter Dittmar vs the Mustangs’ Gabe Harper. Harper, coming off a summer as the leading inning-eater for Tallahassee’s 13U Babe Ruth League World Series semifinalists. Harper struck out the side in the top of the first mixing in mostly fastballs and a few breaking balls. The Mustangs’ bats got hot early in the evening, with CJ Usina starting the huge rally. Usina had a base hit to right field and was followed by two walks. An infield single scored Montford’s first run of the ballgame off of new pitcher Tycen Evans for the Rams.
Then catcher Cole Miller came up to bat with a chance to put a crooked number on the board for the Mustangs. He delivered with a sharp base hit to extend Montford’s lead to 2-0. Lefty center fielder John Savoy battled for six pitches; he then connected on the seventh and crushed it into the right center gap. The ball bounced to the base of the fence for a bases clearing triple. Evans got the first out of the inning on a curveball in the dirt in the next at bat. However, the inning continued on as the Mustangs played small ball with two infield singles and three wild pitches to hit the 9 run per inning limit.
In the top of the second, the Rams put together a brief rally against Harper. Two lead off walks and a wild pitch set up an rbi single to left field. Harper escaped the jam only allowing one run. Meanwhile, after the rocky first inning; Rams pitchers Tyrece Evans and Liam Runk did not give up another run over the next three innings. The Rams drew one run closer off lefty reliever Evan House, but ultimately, the Mustangs ended the game with a comfortable lead.
Montford plays Swift Creek on Monday, November 2 at Lincoln High School. Then later in the week, they play Deerlake on Thursday, November 5 at Chiles High School. RAA has a two game week as well playing Deerlake on November 2 at Chiles, and Swift Creek on November 5 at Lincoln. All middle school baseball games are at 6:30 pm.
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