Baseball Game Preview: Merrillville Pirates vs. Portage Indians

For the second straight game, Merrillville will face off against Portage. The Pirates will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Indians at 4:30 p.m. Merrillville has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the matchup with six straight losses, while Portage will come in with seven straight victories.

Merrillville came up short against Portage on Tuesday, falling 14-1.

For Portage's part, Kodie Young made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Young has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.

In other batting news, Dylan Pezel was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. Those hits marked the first that he got this season. Another player making a difference was Mason Conrad, who scored a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.

Portage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Merrillville only posted an OBP of .158.

Portage pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Merrillville, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Merrillville has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Portage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.