Baseball Game Preview: North Newton Spartans vs. West Central Trojans

For the second straight game, North Newton will face off against West Central. The Spartans will be playing at home against the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. North Newton has given up an average of 7 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

North Newton came up short against West Central on Tuesday, falling 14-4. The Spartans have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

For West Central's part, Teagan Holle spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up nine Ks.

At the plate, Landon Hughes was a standout: he went 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. He has become a key player for West Central: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-7 otherwise. Connor Huber was another key player, going 4-for-5 with one stolen base and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: West Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 10.8.

The victory made it two in a row for West Central and bumps their season record up to 6-7. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for North Newton, their loss dropped their record down to 2-10.