Martinsville Mustangs This Week: Mustangs carry 4-game winning streak, climb to second in CPL standings (2024)

After starting the season with four straight wins, the Martinsville Mustangs have stayed hot. Through two weeks of games, Martinsville stands 11-4 on the year, tied for the second best record in all of the Coastal Plain League.

Martinsville is currently second in the Coastal Plain League West Division standings, 1-and-a-half games behind the Forest City Owls (12-2).

Here’s a look at the Mustangs heading into this weekend’s slate of games.

The past week

Martinsville came into Tuesday’s game at Hooker Field riding a three-game winning streak. They extended that to four games with an 8-2 victory over the Asheboro ZooKeepers.

Lucas Carmichael (Wm. & Mary) led the Mustangs on Tuesday, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, a double, a walk, three runs, and three RBIs.

Enrique Wood (NC A&T), John Rittenhouse (University of Cumberlands), and Tatsunori Negishi (NC A&T) added two hits each. Negishi also scored two runs.

Alex Kanipe (Bluefield State) got the win on the mound, throwing five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Martinsville’s win streak began on Friday when they went on the road to North Carolina and defeated the High Point-Thomasville HiToms, 10-8, behind three home runs by Rittenhouse, who finished the night with five RBIs.

Owen Prince (VMI) also had three hits, two RBIs, and two runs in the win, and Drew Needham (Western Carolina) had a home run.

The team then came home on Saturday and defeated the HiToms for a second straight night, this time 7-4 thanks in part to three hits, two walks, three RBIs and a run by Carmichael. Wood added two hits, a walk, and two RBIs.

Cooper Morgan (University of Cumberlands) threw four innings in relief, allowing one run on four hits and one run while striking out seven.

The winning streak went into Sunday thanks to an 8-3 home victory over the Holly Springs Salamanders. Gavin Bogdancik (Charleston Southern) had three hits, two RBIs, and two runs in the win.

Bassett High School graduate Trever Barnes (University of Lynchburg) threw three innings for Martinsville, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two in his first and only start of the season so far.

What’s working

Martinsville has been finding success with the bats. They’ve scored at least 10 runs four times this season, and scored at least seven runs seven times in 15 games. They’re averaging just over seven runs per game, with just one shutout.

As a team, Martinsville is hitting .258. They have 127 hits, including 15 doubles, three triples, and 13 home runs.

The Mustangs also have nearly as many combined walks (93) and batters hit by a pitch (21) as they do strikeouts (124).

Martinsville is also being aggressive on the basepaths, with 50 stolen bases to just eight runners caught stealing.

The pitching isn’t quite up to the batting, but the Mustangs team ERA of 5.05 has led to an average of 5.2 runs allowed per game. Martinsville’s pitchers have struck out 117 batters to 66 walks.

Local look

Here’s a look at Mustangs from the local area:

- Rittenhouse, who previously played at Patrick & Henry Community College, leads the Mustangs at the plate this season, hitting .423 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.

- Prince, from Roanoke, is hitting .333 with a team-high 15 hits, 16 runs, and 11 walks.

- Carlisle School graduate Ian Martin (King University) is hitting .278 this summer with five hits, four runs, and three stolen bases.

- Two other former P&HCC Patriots are also impressing with the bats. Kody Abrisz (Frostburg State) is hitting .276 with eight runs, nine RBIs, and eight walks. His brother, Kade Abrisz (Frostburg State), has four hits, four runs, and six walks on the year.

- Bassett graduate Jacob Gilbert (Shenandoah) has made four pitching appearances out of the bullpen, allowing four runs and two hits in 2.2 innings.

- Former P&HCC standout Alex Kanipe has started four games on the mound, striking out 15 in 17.1 innings. He has a 4.15 ERA.

Coming up

Martinsville traveled to High Point, N.C. to take on the HiToms on Wednesday. Results were too late for publication.

The Mustangs will travel to Asheboro, N.C. on Thursday to take on the ZooKeepers (6-8), a team they’ve defeated three so far this season.

The Mustangs will return home on Friday to take on the Boone Bigfoots (7-8), who they’re 2-1 against this season. Friday will be 80’s Night at Lou Whitaker Park at Hooker Field.

Martinsville will take their longest road trip of the season on Saturday when they head to Macon, Georgia to face the Bacon (3-12).

Following an off day on Sunday, they’ll then come home for three straight games on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday against the Forest City Owls, Zookeepers, and Peninsula Pilots (11-4), the leaders of the CPL East Division standings.

All games at Hooker Field this week will begin at 7 p.m.