vs
| 04/25/24 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 04/27/23 - Away | 10-4 W |
| 04/28/22 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 04/25/19 - Away | 14-3 W |
| 04/26/18 - Home | 12-4 W |
| + 4 more games |
Homestead has gone 8-1 against DeKalb recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Spartans will venture away from home to face off against the Barons at 5:00 p.m. Homestead is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Homestead had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Tippecanoe Valley on Wednesday. The Spartans blew past the Vikings 10-4. While the Spartans didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Chelsie Rosine looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit.
On the hitting side, Taylor Sanders was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Ellyana Hyder also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Homestead kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, DeKalb didn't have quite enough to beat East Noble on Wednesday and fell 4-3. The Barons have struggled against the Knights recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive lost meeting.
Summer Haverstock spent all 13 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, Serena Wineland made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-6 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Paige Storck, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases and one run.
Homestead is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for DeKalb, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.
Homestead skirted past DeKalb 4-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
