The NorthWood Panthers will face off against the Fairfield Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (NorthWood 3, Fairfield 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Elkhart hit NorthWood with a four-run second inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers fell just short of the Lions by a score of 5-4. The loss was the Panthers' first of the season.
Connor Reed spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Nate Dutkowski was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Bogan, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Fairfield got themselves on the board against Angola on Thursday, but Angola never followed suit. They walked away with a 4-0 win over the Hornets. The victory continues a trend for the Falcons in their matchups with the Hornets: they've now won four in a row.
Grady Garber was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Garber wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Garrett Stoltzfus, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits Stoltzfus has posted since back in April of 2024. Another was Drew Beachy, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Fairfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Fairfield pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for NorthWood, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. NorthWood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Fairfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
NorthWood came out on top in a nail-biter against Fairfield when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Falcons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
