The Wheeler Bearcats will venture away from home to square off against the Lowell Red Devils at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
It was a proper cat-fight when Wheeler duked it out with Tri-Township on Friday. The Bearcats sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over the Tigers. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bearcats have posted since May 5th.
Nick Bravo
| 05/16/25 @ Hobart | 6 |
| 04/19/25 @ Hammond Morton | 5 |
| 05/06/25 vs Lake Station Edison | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Griffith | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs North Newton | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Nick Bravo made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over 4.1 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Wheeler is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 8-14 otherwise. Bravo was also big at the plate, earning one run and three stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Lowell made easy work of North Newton on Friday and carried off a 13-3 win. The victory continues a trend for the Red Devils in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won four in a row.
Like Wheeler, Lowell also got a great game from a two-way player: Mason Brooker. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Brooker has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since May 1st.
In other batting news, Ryan Wellwerts was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Gavin Gutierrez was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and one RBI.
Lowell was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Newton only posted a batting average of .222.
Wheeler's record is now 10-15. As for Lowell, their record now sits at 10-15-1.
Wheeler came out on top in a nail-biter against Lowell when the teams last played back in May of 2023, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bearcats since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
