North Central is 0-7 against South Vermillion since April of 2015 but things could change on Thursday. The Thunderbirds will face off against the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. South Vermillion took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on North Central, who comes in off a win.
On Monday, North Central needed a bit of extra time to put away Bloomfield. They walked away with a 9-6 victory over the Cardinals. The game was the first time the Thunderbirds have beaten the Cardinals on their field since May 27, 2019.
Hayden Schultz made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over 6.2 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
Greydyn Walters
| 05/05/25 @ Bloomfield | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs North Vermillion | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs South Putnam | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Clay City | 1 |
| 04/07/25 @ Casey-Westfield | 1 |
In other batting news, Greydyn Walters was incredible, firing off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while going 2-for-5. He has become a key player for North Central: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-8 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Bays, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
North Central lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, South Vermillion was a bit more limited in their contest on Tuesday. They fell 6-2 to Parke Heritage. The Wildcats have struggled against the Wolves recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
South Vermillion saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bryson Lemmons, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
North Central's win ended a nine-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 2-9. As for South Vermillion, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like South Vermillion struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Central came up short against South Vermillion in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 9-5. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
