North Marion is 9-1 against Vanguard since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The North Marion Colts will host the Vanguard Knights at 6:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (North Marion: 3.6, Vanguard: 3.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
North Marion's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Tuesday's struggle, when Lincoln hitters got past them. North Marion fell 13-8 to Lincoln on Tuesday.
North Marion got a good showing from Lucas Nichols, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Nichols has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
Tucker Jones
| 02/11/25 vs West Port | 4 |
| 03/04/25 vs Lincoln | 3 |
| 02/28/25 @ Trinity Catholic | 3 |
| 02/13/25 vs Dunnellon | 1 |
On the hitting side, Tucker Jones and Rowan Quartararo stepped up to the plate in a big way. Jones went 3-for-7 with three doubles and three RBI, while Quartararo went 2-for-6 with one home run and three runs. Jones has become a key player for North Marion: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least three hits, but 2-5 otherwise. Troy Guynn was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-7.
Even though they lost, North Marion kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Vanguard, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They blew past West Port 13-3 on Tuesday. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Wolf Pack recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Clayton ?CT? Antonucci was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Antonucci was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other pitching news, Brendan McLaughlin looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, Jacob ?Jake? Wells was incredible, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Noah Robinson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Vanguard pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. As for North Marion, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 4-6 record this season.
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 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Marion was able to grind out a solid victory over Vanguard in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 4-1. Does North Marion have another victory up their sleeve, or will Vanguard turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
