The Norwell Knights will square off against the Jay County Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated (Norwell has three wins , while Jay County has six dating back to last season).
Norwell's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They put the hurt on Southern Wells with a sharp 13-0 win.
Kayla Watkins
| 04/14/25 @ Southern Wells | 9 |
| 04/15/24 @ Adams Central | 7 |
| 05/02/24 @ Carroll | 5 |
| 04/10/25 @ Eastbrook | 4 |
| 05/17/24 vs Bluffton | 4 |
Kayla Watkins looked comfortable as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Reese Frauhiger, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Herman, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
Norwell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southern Wells only posted an OBP of .062.
Meanwhile, Jay County was able to grind out a solid victory over Eastbrook on Tuesday, taking the game 11-6.
Mallory Winner was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off ten hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double. That home run marked the first that she launched this season.
In other batting news, Morgan Missicano was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Chloe Brown, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Norwell pushed their record up to 3-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Jay County, their record now sits at 6-0.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Norwell hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. However, it's not like Jay County struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Norwell couldn't quite finish off Jay County when the teams last played back in April of 2023 and fell 3-1. Can the Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
