The Huntington North Vikings will face off against the Warsaw Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Huntington North turned things around against Peru on Wednesday. They walked away with a 9-4 victory over the Tigers.
Brayden Gearhart spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned runs on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
Tyler Williams
| 04/16/25 @ Peru | 3 |
| 04/05/25 @ Plymouth | 2 |
| 04/05/25 @ Plymouth | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Fort Wayne Northrop | 1 |
| 04/15/24 vs Wabash | 1 |
On the hitting side, Tyler Williams and Marcus Linker did most of the damage at the plate: Williams scored three runs while going 4-for-4, while Linker went 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Those three runs gave Williams a new career-high. Max Robrock was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Huntington North always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Warsaw waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They never let the Vikings get on the board and left with a 21-0 win. The game marked the Tigers' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Mason O'Malley made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. O'Malley was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. He also got a hit, marking his first of the season.
In other pitching news, Reed Nelson looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
Back at the plate, Brandt Martin was incredible, going 3-for-4 with six RBI and one run. Those hits marked the first that he got this season. Another player making a difference was Wyatt Stapleton, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Warsaw's win was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Huntington North, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
