The East Noble Knights will take on the New Haven Bulldogs at 5:30 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.
East Noble's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Goshen 18-0. Considering the Knights have won ten contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Paige Griggs was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, one triple, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 games.
Shaye Ritchie
| 05/13/25 @ Goshen | 4 |
| 05/08/25 vs Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs Huntington North | 3 |
| 04/26/25 vs Lakeland | 3 |
| 04/11/25 @ Prairie Heights | 3 |
In other batting news, Shaye Ritchie was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Aubrey Helmkamp was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
East Noble was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .618. They are 9-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, New Haven was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their tenth straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 13-12 heartbreaker at the hands of Adams Central.
Cassidy Johnson led a balanced group of hitters, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Sophia Smith, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
East Noble is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for New Haven, their loss dropped their record down to 2-18.
New Haven's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: East Noble has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.2 hits per game. It's a different story for New Haven, though, as they've been averaging 11.5 hits. Given East Noble's sizable advantage in that area, the Bulldogs will need to find a way to close that gap.
East Noble took their win against New Haven when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-0 score. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
