Knightstown and Union City are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Indians at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Knightstown barely beat Blue River Valley the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 14-2 victory on Thursday. Considering the Panthers have won 13 games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Andrew Buchanan looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April.
Jackson Daves
| 05/15/25 vs Blue River Valley | 2 |
| 05/12/25 vs North Decatur | 1 |
| 05/10/25 @ Union County | 1 |
| 05/10/25 @ Union County | 3 |
At the plate, Jackson Daves was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Travis Louks, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Knightstown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Blue River Valley only posted a batting average of .250.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Union City, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They blew past Cambridge City Lincoln 10-2 on Thursday. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Golden Eagles recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Caleb Lutz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He is becoming a predictor of Union City's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 5-8 when he doesn't). Lutz was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Lutz wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brennan Hoggatt, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Hoggatt has become a key player for Union City: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-9 otherwise. Another was Luke Collins, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Knightstown is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.9 runs over those games. As for Union City, their record is now 7-9.
Union City's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Knightstown hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. It's a different story for Union City, though, as they've only averaged .245. Will they be able to contain Knightstown's hitters?
Knightstown came out on top in a nail-biter against Union City when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
