The Manchester Flying Dutchmen will challenge the Homer Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Manchester took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They blew past East Jackson 16-1. The Flying Dutchmen haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Neil Gebhardt made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Manchester is 3-1 when Gebhardt allows one or fewer earned runs, but 2-3 otherwise. Gebhardt was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Michael Navitskis
| 04/28/25 vs East Jackson | 3 |
| 04/14/25 vs Vandercook Lake | 3 |
| 04/17/25 @ Napoleon | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ Addison | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Michael Navitskis, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Manchester's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Phoenix Hulswitt, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Manchester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .645. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, while Homer put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Addison. The Trojans were the clear victors by a 22-0 margin over the Panthers. The Trojans' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Like Manchester, Homer also got a great game from a two-way player: Zak Smith. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Smith has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Brock Butler was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, four runs, and three doubles. Isaiah Sullivan was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
Homer pushed their record up to 6-4 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Manchester, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Manchester has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Homer struggles in that department as they've averaged .492. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
