Mustangs Edge ZooKeepers 3-1 in Pitcher’s Duel at McCrary Park

McCrary Park – June 7, 2025

On a beautiful night in Asheboro, the Martinsville Mustangs silenced the ZooKeepers’ bats and held off a late push to secure a 3-1 road win on Saturday. Behind timely hitting from veteran first baseman Johnboy Rittenhouse and a dominant performance from starter Aidan Kelly, the Mustangs snapped Asheboro’s mini-win streak and improved to 4-5 on the season.

Mustangs Jump Ahead Early

Martinsville wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first, center fielder Owen Prince (VMI) doubled and later came around to score on a Rittenhouse two-run single to make it 2-0. They tacked on another in the third, capitalizing on a ZooKeepers fielding miscue and a double from Mason Reising (Charleston Southern) to take a 3-0 lead.

The Mustangs tallied just six hits but made them count, drawing two walks and taking advantage of four ZooKeepers errors to manufacture offense early.

Zookeepers Can’t Capitalize

Asheboro’s only run came in the bottom of the third. Sal Laimo (Barton College) was hit by a pitch, stole second, and came around on a sacrifice fly from Kruise Newman (Tennessee Wesleyan). That would be all the offense the home team could muster.

The ZooKeepers left seven runners on base, struck out 12 times, and failed to score in the final six innings despite a handful of base runners.

Kelly Sets the Tone, Bullpen Shuts the Door

Mustangs right-hander Aidan Kelly (Mercyhurst) dazzled over five innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run while striking out six. He got key support from relievers Austin Maxey, Cooper Morgan, and Maddox Burkitt, who combined for four shutout innings and six strikeouts. Burkitt earned the save with a perfect ninth inning.

Bright Spots on the Bump for Asheboro

Despite the loss, Asheboro’s pitching was solid. Starter Hiroyuki Yamada (Southern Indiana) battled through 5.1 innings, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs. Kaden Fuller (Western Carolina) and Hayden Mills (Walters State) followed with 3.2 scoreless frames, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Final: Mustangs 3, ZooKeepers 1

Martinsville’s timely hitting and strong bullpen proved to be the difference in a tightly contested matchup. With the loss, Asheboro drops to 5-2 on the season but remains firmly in the hunt near the top of the Coastal Plain League standings.

Next Game:
📍 Zookeepers at Holly Springs Salamanders
📅 Sunday, June 8 – 5:05
🎧 Listen live: https://zkbaseball.mixlr.com