The North Marion Colts will take on the Umatilla Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. North Marion is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
North Marion is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Atlantic by a score of 6-3.
John Collins
| 04/15/25 vs Atlantic | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Santa Fe | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Trinity Catholic | 2 |
| 03/19/25 vs Providence School | 2 |
| 03/11/25 vs Santa Fe | 2 |
| + 4 more games |
John Collins was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. He has become a key player for North Marion: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 9-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Rowan Quartararo, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
North Marion hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Umatilla hadn't done well against The Villages Charter recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Bulldogs had just enough and edged out the Buffalo 2-1.
Wyatt Strawbridge spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been consistent : he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Umatilla's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nick Sande, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
North Marion's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-11. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Umatilla, their record is now 14-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Marion has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Umatilla struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
