The New Haven Bulldogs will head out to square off against the East Noble Knights at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. New Haven has now lost ten straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since April 24.
Adams Central hit New Haven with a six-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bulldogs fell just short of the Flying Jets by a score of 13-12.
Cassidy Johnson stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Sophia Smith was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
East Noble never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Goshen on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the RedHawks an 18-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won ten contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Paige Griggs made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with three RBI, one triple, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 12 games.
In other batting news, Shaye Ritchie was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Bri Bortner also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
East Noble hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Goshen struck out eight times.
East Noble is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for New Haven, their loss dropped their record down to 2-18.
New Haven suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to East Noble when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
