The Warren Central Vikings are taking a road trip to challenge the Hancock Hawks at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with eight defeats in a row dating back to last season, Warren Central turned things around against Loyd Star on Thursday. They skirted past the Hornets 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Vikings have posted since April 29, 2024.
Madison Pant was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Pant was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Pant wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was KK Williamson, who scored two runs while going 1-for-1. Kennadi Willaims also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Warren Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since the start of last season.
Meanwhile, Hancock had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They never let the Wildcats get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by six runs or more this season.
Like Warren Central, Hancock also got a great game from a two-way player: Teegan DeWitt. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. DeWitt has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brylie Smith, who scored three runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-2. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Caitlyn Ladner, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI.
Hancock's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Warren Central, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-7.
