Baseball Game Preview: Norwell Knights vs. New Haven Bulldogs

Norwell is 9-1 against New Haven since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Knights will square off against the Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. Norwell is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.

Norwell came out on top against Fairfield on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive 12-run first inning. The Knights blew past the Falcons 17-2. The Knights' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Ryne Thornton looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.

Drew Graft

Runs Batted In

04/28/25 vs Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran	5
05/24/25 @ Fairfield	4
04/15/25 @ Mississinewa	4
05/01/25 @ Bellmont	3
04/26/25 vs Guerin Catholic	3
+ 10 more games

At the plate, Drew Graft was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Norwell's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 10-11 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Drew Jolley, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.

Norwell kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2024.

Huntington North typically has all the answers at home, but on Tuesday New Haven proved too difficult a challenge. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Vikings 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bulldogs have posted against the Vikings since May 15, 2018.

New Haven has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-12 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Norwell, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 15-11.

Norwell took their win against New Haven in their previous meeting on May 6th by a conclusive 10-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.