The Preston Knights will face off against the Grafton Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Preston turned things around against Lincoln on Tuesday. They never let the Cougars get on the board and left with a 4-0 win.
Robbie Lowe
| 04/30/26 @ Fairmont Senior | 5 |
| 04/09/26 @ North Marion | 4 |
| 03/30/26 vs Bridgeport | 3 |
| 04/22/26 vs Notre Dame | 2 |
| 04/04/26 vs Springfield | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
The result came thanks to Robbie Lowe's shutout, as he gave up just four hits and racked up ten Ks. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Preston is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 5-13 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Preston saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Thaler, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Preston was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April.
Meanwhile, Grafton got the win against Tyler on Tuesday by a conclusive 11-1. The Bearcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Grafton let Carter Gillespie and Cam Gray run wild. Gillespie went 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs, while Gray went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those four RBI gave Gillespie a new career-high.
Preston's victory bumped their record up to 8-14. As for Grafton, their win bumped their record up to 18-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Preston has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grafton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Preston couldn't quite get it done against Grafton in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 5-2. Will the Knights have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
