Baseball Game Preview: Newark Norsemen vs. Putnam County Panthers

Newark hasn't had much luck against Putnam County recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Norsemen will look to defend their home field against the Panthers at 11:00 a.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Saturday.

Newark took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Earlville. The result was nothing new for the Norsemen, who have now won five matches by seven runs or more so far this season.

David Ulrich

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/11/25 vs Earlville	3
05/11/24 vs Sandwich	2
04/30/24 vs Serena	2
04/23/24 vs Hiawatha	2
04/18/24 @ Earlville	2

Jackson Walker and David Ulrich did most of the damage at the plate: Walker scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Ulrich scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave Ulrich a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Landon Begovac, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

They weren't the only one making solid contact: Newark kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Earlville only managed one hit.

Meanwhile, Putnam County won against Bureau Valley on Tuesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Panthers never let Hinckley-Big Rock get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory. That 11 run margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.

The win made it two in a row for Putnam County and bumps their season record up to 10-1. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 1 runs in those games. As for Newark, their win bumped their record up to 5-10.

Newark couldn't quite finish off Putnam County in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 and fell 5-3. Can the Norsemen avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.