The Hammond Central Wolves will head out on the road to square off against the Hebron Hawks at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hammond Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.2 runs per game this season.
Hammond Central took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past Bowman Academy 20-1. The high-scoring effort was just what the Wolves needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.
Julian Santiago
| 04/19/25 @ Benton Harbor | 3 |
| 05/02/25 vs Bowman Academy | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Benton Harbor | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Merrillville | 1 |
| 04/22/25 @ Marquette Catholic | 1 |
Julian Santiago made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. He has become a key player for Hammond Central: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 4-8-1 otherwise.
In other batting news, Hammond Central got a massive performance out of Juan Magallanes, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most stolen bases Magallanes has posted over his last 12 contests. Triston Moore also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Hammond Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 5-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Hebron and Morgan Township meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Hawks sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 victory over the Cherokees.
Hebron saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Josh Kenda, who went 2-for-3 with one run. Another was Cade Hildebrandt, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Hebron now has a winning record of 7-6-1. As for Hammond Central, they moved to 7-8-1 with that win, which also ended their five-game losing streak.
Hebron's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hammond Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. It's a different story for Hebron, though, as they've only averaged .248. Will they be able to contain Hammond Central's hitters?
Hammond Central might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Hebron in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Wolves avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
