Baseball Preview: Ben Davis Giants vs. Lawrence North Wildcats
Ben Davis is 1-9 against Lawrence North since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Ben Davis Giants will head out on the road to square off against the Lawrence North Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. Ben Davis is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Ben Davis fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Warren Central on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Warriors by a score of 11-10. Ben Davis' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Ben Davis got a good showing from Jaycee Abner, who didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Isaiah Peterson-Pruitt was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Cameron Spaulding, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Lawrence North had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.8 runs), and they went ahead and made it five on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Trailblazers and snuck past 5-4.
Theo Kramer looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Austin Linton was excellent, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and a stolen base. Hayden Herendeen was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Ben Davis' defeat dropped their record down to 8-8. As for Lawrence North, they pushed their record up to 14-3 with that victory, which was their third straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ben Davis has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lawrence North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ben Davis couldn't quite finish off Lawrence North in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can Ben Davis 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
