The Eastbrook Panthers will challenge the Delta Eagles at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Eastbrook is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.6 runs per game this season.
Eastbrook's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Northfield as they made off with a 13-0 win. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by nine runs or more this season.
Carter Daugherty
| 04/17/25 @ Northfield | 11 |
| 04/04/25 @ Jay County | 6 |
| 05/07/24 vs Oak Hill | 6 |
| 05/02/24 @ Elwood | 6 |
| 04/11/25 vs Norwell | 5 |
Carter Daugherty made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.
In other batting news, Will Hodson and Reid Aupperle did most of the damage at the plate: Hodson went 1-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Aupperle got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs Aupperle has posted since back in May of 2024. Blake Jacobs was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one double.
Eastbrook always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .579. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Delta, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-4 victory over Greenfield-Central on Thursday.
Like Eastbrook, Delta also got a great game from a two-way player: Zane Cline. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over 4.2 innings pitched. Cline was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Maddox Huffman looked comfortable as he tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Delta is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 0-3 otherwise.
Cline wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Chase Ritchie, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Another was Campbell Light, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Delta's win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 2-4. As for Eastbrook, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Eastbrook has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Delta struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
