The Shenandoah Raiders will take on the Muncie Central Bearcats at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Shenandoah has seven straight victories, Muncie Central has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Shenandoah lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Anderson, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Monday's contest. The Raiders put the hurt on the Indians with a sharp 11-4 win on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won ten matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Drew Fredenburg was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Fredenburg was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, Collin Osenbaugh was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Brandan Conyers was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Shenandoah always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .535. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April.
Meanwhile, Muncie Central came up short against Jay County on Monday, falling 23-4.
Logan Campbell was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Rodney Dabney, who went 1-for-2 with one home run.
Shenandoah's victory bumped their record up to 14-3. As for Muncie Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-17.
Muncie Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Shenandoah hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. It's a different story for Muncie Central, though, as they've only averaged .242. Will they be able to contain Shenandoah's hitters?
Shenandoah came out on top in a nail-biter against Muncie Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, sneaking past 7-6. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bearcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
