The Decatur Central Hawks will face off against the Avon Orioles at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Decatur Central's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Avon's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
If Decatur Central beats Avon with seven runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Hawks beat Franklin Community on Friday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-4. The win was nothing new for the Hawks as they're now sitting on three straight.
Luke McWhirter
| 05/23/25 @ Franklin Community | 4 |
| 05/19/25 vs Martinsville | 3 |
| 05/17/25 @ Cascade | 1 |
| 05/06/25 @ Whiteland | 1 |
| 05/02/25 vs Brownsburg | 0 |
| 04/26/25 vs Perry Meridian | 7 |
Luke McWhirter looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April.
At the plate, Decatur Central saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brayden Smith, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one double. Zach Losito also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Avon). Everything went their way against North Central on Saturday as they made off with a 16-4 victory. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Orioles as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Isaac Kramer looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Clayton Lenz was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Layne Harman, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Decatur Central's victory bumped their record up to 16-9. As for Avon, their win bumped their record up to 17-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Decatur Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Avon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Decatur Central skirted past Avon 4-2 in their previous matchup back in April. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Orioles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
