The Batavia Bulldogs will take on the Talawanda Brave at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Batavia has seven straight victories, Talawanda has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Wednesday, Batavia earned a 9-4 win over Goshen. That's two games straight that the Bulldogs have won by exactly five runs.
Derek Richardson
| 05/07/25 vs Goshen | 6 |
| 04/30/25 vs Western Brown | 9 |
| 04/16/25 vs Wilmington | 13 |
| 04/07/25 vs Clinton-Massie | 5 |
| 03/31/25 @ Wilmington | 7 |
Derek Richardson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Max Mehlman was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Brayden Schmittou was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Meanwhile, Talawanda fell victim to Eaton and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 7-0 to the Eagles.
Talawanda saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Eddie Tanner, who went 2-for-3 with one double.
Batavia pushed their record up to 17-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Talawanda, their loss dropped their record down to 10-15.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Batavia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .478. However, it's not like Talawanda struggles in that department as they've averaged .439. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
