Baseball Preview: Mishawaka Cavemen vs. Elkhart Lions
The Mishawaka Cavemen will head out on the road to square off against the Elkhart Lions at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. Mishawaka is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Mishawaka is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering NorthWood just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 4-3.
Brady Gallo was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Tyler Thomas was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Mishawaka didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with eight strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as NorthWood only tossed four.
Meanwhile, Elkhart fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Valparaiso on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Vikings. The defeat continues a trend for Elkhart in their matchups with Valparaiso: they've now lost three in a row.
Brodey Weaver put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Weaver was even better at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Weaver wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Greg Guest, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Mishawaka's record now sits at 12-9. As for Elkhart, their record is now 12-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mishawaka has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Elkhart struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mishawaka couldn't quite finish off Elkhart in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 and fell 11-9. Can Mishawaka avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
