BACK-TO-BACK M’TOWN ATTACK
Aden homers twice, Ketchum once to power Mustangs in 18-1 league victory over Lower Lake
Will Aden missed practice Monday with a hand injury, making his status for Middletown’s varsity baseball league opener Tuesday against Lower Lake somewhat questionable.
Turns out Aden did play, and with a heavily wrapped left hand no less, and there was absolutely nothing questionable about the impact he made in the Mustangs’ 18-1 victory in five innings at Wes Martin Field.
“They were calling him Godzilla,” Middletown head coach Jon Hoogendoorn said of Aden’s teammates after the Mustangs’ cleanup hitter went 4-for-4 with a ground-rule double and two home runs, including one of the longest drives Hoogendoorn has seen at Wes Martin Field.
“Eventually teams are going to stop pitching to him,” Hoogendoorn said. “But (Cole) Ketchum hits right behind him and he’s hot too.”
Ketchum went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, going back-toback with Aden in the bottom of the fourth inning for Middletown’s final runs.
The Mustangs (1-0 league, 4-2 overall) pretty much had things their own way. They led 3-0 after Aden’s three-run blast landed in and rattled around the football bleachers in center field. Lower Lake (0-1 league, 0-2 overall) got one of those runs back in the top of the second, but Middletown batted around during a nine-run bottom of the second to go up 121. It was 16-1 after three innings.
“Our guys were all over them,” Hoogendoorn said of Lower Lake’s pitchers.
Aden’s blast in the bottom of the fourth was to deep left field. Ketchum followed with a solo shot to left-center field. Ketchum is 10-for-15 in his last three games.
“It probably landed beyond the horse statue,” Hoogendoorn said of Aden’s tape-measure blast. “It’s one of the deepest ones I’ve seen hit on this field.”
Middletown pounded out 17 hits in support of winning pitcher Dax Green, who worked the first four innings and allowed all three Lower Lake hits while striking out two and walking two. The run he gave up was unearned.
“He threw only 53 pitches and worked fast,” Hoogendoorn said of Green, who also went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs.
Middletown has three games this week, so Green’s ability to work deep into the game was a real plus, according to Hoogendoorn.
Joining Ketchum and Green with two hits apiece were Tanner Pachie (2-for-4, double), Justin Hollingsworth (2-for-3, 4 RBIs), Zach Dubois (2-fo-4 double, 2 RBIs) and Noah Williams (2-for-3).
Aden sustained his hand
injury working on a construction project and needed to have a “chunk of wood” removed, according to Hoogendoorn.
While the Mustangs had no idea what to suspect from their Lower Lake opponents, Hoogendoorn said his team was “amped up” and ready to go Tuesday for the league opener.
“We were ready for them,” he said. “We’ve been playing up (in the preseason) to prepare us for league. There are no playoffs this year, so why not play up? The losses won’t hurt.”
Middletown hits the road Wednesday to play the Piner Prospectors in a non-league game at Santa Rosa. First pitch is 4 p.m. The Mustangs return home Friday to play Cloverdale in a league game at 4 p.m.
Lower Lake statistics were not reported.
Game notes: Middletown has won three straight … Aden’s home runs were his fourth and fifth of the season … the Mustangs had 17 hits overall … Wednesday’s game at Piner marks the Mustangs’ third Santa Rosa opponent this season, following Santa Rosa High and Montgomery … Middletown’s only two losses this season are to an undefeated Colusa squad (8-0) … Game scores and statistics can be reported to the Record-Bee’s sports desk at 889-1132 or 900-2018.