Baseball Game Preview: New Haven Bulldogs vs. Norwell Knights

New Haven hasn't had much luck against Norwell recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Bulldogs will face off against the Knights at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

New Haven was handed a ten-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Huntington North, sneaking past 4-3. The game was the first time the Bulldogs have beaten the Vikings on their field since May 16, 2017.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Norwell). They were the clear victors by a 17-2 margin over Fairfield on Saturday. Considering the Knights have won nine matchups by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.

Ryne Thornton looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits.

On the hitting side, Drew Graft was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs, and four RBI. Those two triples gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Trey Privett, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Norwell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

New Haven has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-12 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Norwell, their record is now 15-11.

New Haven suffered a grim 10-2 defeat to Norwell in their previous matchup on May 6th. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.