The St. Michael-Albertville Knights are taking a road trip to challenge the Hopkins Royals at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopkins took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on St. Michael-Albertville, who comes in off a win.
St. Michael-Albertville barely beat Sartell-St. Stephen the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Knights put the hurt on the Sabres with a sharp 10-1 win on Thursday. The contest marked the Knights' most dominant victory of the season.
Wes Byer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Grady Johnson
| 05/15/25 vs Sartell-St. Stephen | 3 |
| 05/05/25 @ Elk River | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ Rogers | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ Minnetonka | 2 |
| 05/14/25 vs Maple Grove | 1 |
At the plate, Grady Johnson and Tyler Haring did most of the damage at the plate: Johnson went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI, while Haring went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Those three hits gave Johnson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ashton Crank, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
St. Michael-Albertville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Buffalo hit Hopkins with a five-run fourth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Royals took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bison. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 24, 2023, but that streak is no more.
St. Michael-Albertville's win bumped their record up to 12-3. As for Hopkins, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-8.
St. Michael-Albertville came out on top in a nail-biter against Hopkins when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
