The Manchester Squires are taking a road trip to square off against the Huntington North Vikings at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Manchester is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.6 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Manchester earned a 6-1 victory over Maconaquah. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Squires.
Harper Sturtsman
| 04/23/25 vs Maconaquah | 15 |
| 04/15/25 @ Bluffton | 13 |
| 04/19/24 vs Columbia City | 10 |
| 04/12/25 vs LaVille | 9 |
| 04/06/24 @ Caston | 9 |
Harper Sturtsman made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. Those 15 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run and one double.
In other batting news, Ethan Hendrix was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. Aiden Bahney also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Manchester kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Huntington North had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Indians by a score of 5-2. While the Vikings didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Caiden Pohler looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cruz Kindler, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Brayden Freiburger was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Manchester pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Huntington North, their record is now 7-4.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Manchester hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Huntington North struggles in that department as they've averaged .317. 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.
