The El Paso-Gridley Titans are taking a road trip to challenge the Heyworth Hornets at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
El Paso-Gridley's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They walked away with a 4-0 win over Midland. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 21, 2018, but that streak is no more.
Mason Vandegraft
| 04/14/25 @ Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley | 5 |
| 04/07/25 @ Tri-Valley | 4 |
| 03/29/25 @ Reed-Custer | 4 |
| 03/17/25 @ Plainfield Central | 4 |
| 03/31/25 vs Pontiac | 2 |
| + 1 more games |
The result came thanks to Mason Vandegraft's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up 11 Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because El Paso-Gridley is 3-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 2-14 otherwise.
On the hitting side, El Paso-Gridley's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Blake Harris, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Heyworth came out on top against Delavan on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run fifth inning. The Hornets were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Heyworth let Boston Katz and Maddox Klawitter run wild. Katz got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI, while Klawitter went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases and two runs. Another player making a difference was Hunter Bockelman, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Heyworth now has a winning record of 11-10. As for El Paso-Gridley, with the win, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 5-15.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. El Paso-Gridley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Heyworth struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
El Paso-Gridley might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Heyworth in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Titans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
