Baseball Recap: Forest Area Takes a Loss

Forest Area extended their losing streak to 11 on Thursday, dropping them down to 0-11. They lost 18-2 to the Mesick Bulldogs. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Warriors of the 14-2 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in April of 2024.

As for Mesick, they pushed their record up to 11-12 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.3 runs over those games.

For Mesick's part, Andrew Osborne and Cody Linna made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Osborne pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run but no hits. Meanwhile, Linna pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Osborne is becoming a predictor of Mesick's success: when he allows at most three hits the team is undefeated (and 7-12 when he doesn't). At bat, Osborne went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run, while Linna went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Those two hits gave Osborne a new career-high.

In other batting news, Issac Stroh and Jaeden Simpson did most of the damage at the plate: Stroh got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases, four runs, and three RBI, while Simpson got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those four stolen bases gave Stroh a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Carter Simerson, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Forest Area will host Frankfort at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The Panthers' pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so the Warriors' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Mesick, they will welcome Lake City at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday.