Baseball Game Preview: McIntosh Chiefs vs. Lovejoy Wildcats

The McIntosh Chiefs will face off against the Lovejoy Wildcats at 5:55 p.m. on Thursday. McIntosh is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.

McIntosh's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Lovejoy with a sharp 11-0 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Chiefs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Will Downing

Hits (Career)

04/15/25 @ Lovejoy	3
04/02/25 @ Banneker	2
03/20/25 @ Langston Hughes	2
02/28/25 vs Whitewater	2
03/14/24 @ Northgate	2

Will Downing made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because McIntosh is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 9-15 otherwise. Downing was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on JD Raney, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, one triple, and one run. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Will Nixon, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.

McIntosh always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Lovejoy's win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-11-1. As for McIntosh, their victory bumped their record up to 12-15.