The Bellmont Braves will take on the Bluffton Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bellmont took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. They never let Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian get on the board and left with a 5-0 win. Bellmont hasn't had any issues with Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Not much got past Beau Baker, who gave up just two hits and racked up 13 Ks to keep Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian off the board. Baker has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
Gavin Krull
| 04/21/25 vs Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian | 3 |
| 04/05/24 @ South Adams | 2 |
| 05/16/24 @ Jay County | 1 |
| 05/03/24 @ Whitko | 1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Huntington North | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gavin Krull, who went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Aidan Zimmerman was another key player, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Bluffton hadn't done well against Norwell recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Tigers had just enough and edged out the Knights 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Tigers have posted against the Knights since May 12, 2018.
Axton Beste was excellent, going 3-for-4 with four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Bluffton's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 2-4 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Xzavier Driscoll, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Bluffton pushed their record up to 7-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Bellmont, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
Bellmont suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Bluffton in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Braves have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
