Baseball Game Preview: North Forrest Eagles vs. Loyd Star Hornets

For the second straight game, North Forrest will face off against Loyd Star. The Eagles will challenge the Hornets at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games North Forrest has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

North Forrest is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past Loyd Star 8-7.

Landon Hayes made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 5.2 innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Chance Rogers

Runs

03/30/26 @ East Marion	3
03/27/26 vs Perry Central	3
03/14/26 vs Quitman	3
04/16/26 vs Loyd Star	2
04/13/26 vs Stringer	2
+ 14 more games

In other batting news, Chance Rogers was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of North Forrest's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 10-2 (and 4-5 when he doesn't). Jordyn Barnes was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

North Forrest is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a massive bump to their 14-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Loyd Star, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 14-11.