The North Marion Colts will head out on the road to take on the Keystone Heights Indians at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Last Tuesday, everything went North Marion's way against Forest as North Marion made off with a 10-1 win. Considering the Colts have won three matchups by more than eight runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
C.J. Sayler was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Sayler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-5.
In other pitching news, Luke Tueton looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in March of 2024.
Back at the plate, Ayden Gonzalez was a standout: he scored two runs while going 2-for-3. What's more, he also posted two hits, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Trenton Ramsey, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
North Marion always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Forest only posted an OBP of .192.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Keystone Heights). They were the clear victor by a 16-2 margin over Interlachen on Monday. With that victory, the Indians brought their scoring average up to 8 runs per game.
Ty Mitzel and Destin Harnage made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Mitzel tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Harnage tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Mitzel scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4, while Harnage scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. Mitzel also hit two hits, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Andrew Wilson, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. He also stolen a stolen base, marking his first of the season. Guage Barry was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
The win made it two in a row for Keystone Heights and bumps their season record up to 2-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs over those games. As for North Marion, their record now sits at 3-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Marion has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Keystone Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Marion came up short against Keystone Heights when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 11-7. Can North Marion avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
