On Tuesday, May 12th, the Meridian Mustangs pulled off an incredible upset over their rivals, the Brentsville Tigers. With playoffs fast approaching, the Mustangs continued their dominant form, winning 7-1.
The two teams have met before this season, with the Tigers coming out on top 8-6. The Mustangs would not be bested again. With junior pitcher Luke Greiner on the mound, the Mustangs defense allowed them to jump out to a quick 4-1 lead after two innings. Meridian’s offense tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the third, while Greiner and the defense held firm, not allowing another run for the rest of the game.
This win was not only important to the Mustangs playoff chances, but it also showed their ability to compete with the best teams in the region. Brentsville is currently the second seed in the region, with an overall record of 12-6 and a regional record of 10-4. The Mustangs are still ninth in the standings, one spot away from the playoffs. The Mustangs’ last two games of the season are against opponents very close to them in the standings, but head coach Adam Amerine is wary of the Mustangs getting ahead of themselves.
“Play Wakefield first, then we get a few days off. We’ll prep for Skyline and Warren County and see what the standings are after that. One at a time,” Coach Amerine said.
While the Mustangs’ overall record of 9-9 and regional record of 6-8 may not seem impressive, the team’s play has drastically improved over the past few games, and it couldn’t be coming at at better time. The Mustangs are now on a stellar three game win streak after beating the Annandale Atoms 10-0, the Manassas Park Cougars 20-0, and now Brentsville 7-1.
“This is when we wanna be playing our best. I’m very pleased with the effort today. I thought we played a pretty complete game. Obviously, getting our number one arm back on the mound[Luke Greiner] is tremendous help,” coach Amerine commented.
Even without their star pitcher, the Mustangs defense has been flawless over the past few games.
“It helps when you’re on top. When you get a lead, everyone relaxes a little bit. When you’re in a tight 1-1 game the air gets tense. But when you get a lead, a 7-1 lead, or you’re up on Manassas Park or Annandale like we were last week, it lets the players play a little more loose on the defensive side,” coach Amerine explained.
The Mustangs next game, as coach Amerine mentioned, is against the Wakefield Warriors, on Wednesday, May 13th. The Mustangs will look to continue their win streak and inch closer to a miraculous playoff berth.
