Harbor Light Christian is on an 11-game streak of home wins, while Pickford is on a seven-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Swordsmen will welcome the Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Tuesday, Harbor Light Christian made easy work of Traverse City Christian and carried off a 13-2 victory. The win continues a trend for the Swordsmen in their matchups with the Sabres: they've now won three in a row.
Daniel Urman made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
In other batting news, Ayden Burns was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Vaughn Henagan, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Harbor Light Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Traverse City Christian only posted an OBP of .391.
Meanwhile, Pickford won against Cedarville on Saturday with 15 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand Newberry a 15-0 shutout.
Like Harbor Light Christian, Pickford also got a great game from a two-way player: Carter Rye. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Rye was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gunner Bennin, who fired off two home runs and six RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Eli MacDonald was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and three runs.
Harbor Light Christian's victory bumped their record up to 17-2. As for Pickford, their win bumped their record up to 12-0-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Harbor Light Christian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .411. However, it's not like Pickford struggles in that department as they've averaged .491. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Harbor Light Christian beat Pickford 7-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Swordsmen have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
