The Southern Wells Raiders will square off against the Northfield Norsemen at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
On Thursday, Southern Wells made easy work of Liberty Christian and carried off a 19-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Lions: they've now won six in a row.
Wyatt Yoder and Jakob Gearheart made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Yoder pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Gearheart struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Yoder scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Gearheart scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Landon Johnson was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Sebastian Couch, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and three RBI.
Southern Wells always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Liberty Christian only posted an OBP of .250.
Meanwhile, Northfield gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener last Thursday. They put the hurt on Fort Wayne North Side with a sharp 26-2 win.
Like Southern Wells, Northfield also got a great game from a pair of two-way players: Wyatt Bucher. On the mound, Bucher tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Ty Leming struck out 12 batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. At bat, Bucher scored four runs while going 2-for-4, while Leming scored four runs while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kasey Lamson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with seven RBI, two stolen bases, and three runs. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. Branson Hayslett was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
