vs
| 04/26/24 - Away | 6-2 W |
| 05/09/23 - Home | 11-0 W |
| 04/22/22 - Away | 3-0 W |
| 04/23/21 - Home | 12-4 W |
| 05/21/19 - Neutral | 6-5 W |
| + 3 more games |
Kenton Ridge is 7-1 against Northwestern since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Cougars will host the Warriors at 5:15 p.m. Neither Kenton Ridge nor Northwestern posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Northwestern is facing Kenton Ridge at the wrong time: Kenton Ridge suffered their first home loss of the season on Thursday and they're likely out for redemption. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 2-1 to the Pioneers, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Cougars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Jake Beard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Kenton Ridge saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nic Stumpf, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base. Another was Jakob Groeschel, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Friday as neither Northwestern nor Tecumseh made it on the board until the sixth inning. The Warriors fell 4-1 to the Arrows. The defeat continues a trend for the Warriors in their meetings with the Arrows: they've now lost four in a row.
Northwestern also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Blake Williams gave up four earned runs on 11 hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Brody Grimm was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
Northwestern's loss dropped their record down to 5-13. As for Kenton Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-3.
Northwestern's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Kenton Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. It's a different story for Northwestern, though, as they've only averaged .322. Will they be able to contain Kenton Ridge's hitters?
Kenton Ridge beat Northwestern 6-2 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
