For the second straight game, Merrillville will face off against Valparaiso. The Pirates will venture away from home to take on the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Merrillville has given up an average of 11.8 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Merrillville's offense. They came up short against Valparaiso on Tuesday, falling 11-0. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Pirates' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
For Valparaiso's part, Caden Crowell made a splash no matter where he played. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Crowell has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Valparaiso is undefeated when Crowell posts two or more runs, but 3-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gabe Bush, who went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Trent Gill, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Valparaiso has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs over those games. As for Merrillville, their loss dropped their record down to 3-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Merrillville has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Valparaiso struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
