The Portage Indians will face off against the South Bend Saint Joseph Huskies at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
Portage came out on top against Hanover Central on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fourth inning. The Indians walked away with a 5-2 win over the Wildcats.
Hope Heldt spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Miley Prance, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Erin Fausch, who went 2-for-4 with one triple and one double.
Meanwhile, South Bend Saint Joseph beat Elkhart 6-3 on Friday.
South Bend Saint Joseph also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Myla Blazejewski gave up three earned runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Camille Potter and Bailey Ball did most of the damage at the plate: Potter went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double, while Ball got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Kiley Weinberg was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
South Bend Saint Joseph's victory bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Portage, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
South Bend Saint Joseph's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Portage has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.9 hits per game. It's a different story for South Bend Saint Joseph, though, as they've been averaging 8.7 hits. Given Portage's sizable advantage in that area, the Huskies will need to find a way to close that gap.
Portage couldn't quite finish off South Bend Saint Joseph in their previous matchup back in April of 2022 and fell 8-6. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
