“The Best Laid Plans of Mice, Men, and Mustangs, Often Go Awry.”  How many times over the years of writing these articles have I used that phrase???  After having dominated Holy Cross in a pre-season scrimmage, and then run-ruling them twice (13-0, 15-0) in the regular season, I’m sure we felt that we had made our statement and would liberally exercise our roster in the third regular season contest back at Y’Alls Park, Monday night, where 14 different Mustangs participated in the contest.  We sent Ben Doyle, the starting pitcher back on the night when we christened the MAC vs the Indians to the mound, where we correctly assumed he would limit the Tribe’s run production, and after having shut them out 28-0 in the two previous encounters, we would certainly be able to scratch out enough runs to win, without demeaning them, and return home, victory in tow, to prepare for Beechwood on Wednesday. 

However, a funny thing happened on the way to our 12th win of the season.  While Ben Doyle did his job giving up a single earned run in four innings of work, an error in the 4th plated Luke Aringhaus, who had tripled, and the runner who benefitted by the error, later scored.  Meanwhile, the Mustang offense was kept off-balance by the Holy Cross hurler, Sophomore Eli Cox, who would go the distance.

In the top of the 5th inning, we got untracked and scored a pair of runs, making the score 3-2, and certainly we would overtake the home team and go on to post the victory.  However, it was not to be, as the Tribe was up to the task, adding a pair of runs, neither earned, in their half of the 5th to re-open the lead to 5-2, and while tacking on another Mustang run in the sixth, we would fall to the underdogs 5-3.  Cox went the distance for the Indians, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, with the difference being that the Indians played error-free baseball.  Carter Boruske was the only multiple hit Mustang, going 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

The Mustangs will prepare Tuesday for Beechwood on Wednesday, with the prize behind Door Number One being a trip to the All All-State Elite Eight on April 25-26 at Daviess County High School.