The Raymond Central Mustangs will venture away from home to take on the Fort Calhoun Pioneers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Raymond Central put up the most runs they have all season on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Fairbury with a sharp 16-1 win. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Hunter Sykes
| 04/22/25 vs Fairbury | 11 |
| 04/15/25 vs Douglas County West | 5 |
| 04/20/24 vs Falls City | 5 |
| 04/01/24 @ Auburn | 5 |
| 04/07/25 vs Auburn | 4 |
Hunter Sykes made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, earning two runs and two stolen bases.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tucker Matulka, who went 3-for-4 with seven stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those seven stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Owen Kreikemeier was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Raymond Central hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Fort Calhoun never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They came out on top against Arlington by a score of 11-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Pioneers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Not much got past Kenny Wellwood, who gave up just four hits to keep Arlington off the board. Wellwood has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Chase Bierman was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Charlie Boumstein also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Fort Calhoun's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Raymond Central, their win ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Raymond Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Fort Calhoun struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Raymond Central couldn't quite get it done against Fort Calhoun when the teams last played on Saturday as they fell 6-1. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
