The Castle Knights will face off against the Brownsburg Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Castle will be strutting in after a victory while Brownsburg will be coming in after a loss.
Castle came out on top against Evansville Mater Dei on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run sixth inning. The Knights blew past the Wildcats 13-3. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Bailey Gravens
| 04/24/25 vs Evansville Mater Dei | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Hancock County | 1 |
| 04/18/25 @ Daviess County | 0 |
Bailey Gravens looked comfortable as she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mati Hughes and Emma Bruggenschmidt did most of the damage at the plate: Hughes went 4-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Bruggenschmidt went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Hughes has posted since back in May of 2024. Maddie Rose was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Castle was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .424. They are 5-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between Brownsburg and Mooresville, and Mooresville kept the tradition alive. The Bulldogs fell just short of the Pioneers by a score of 3-2 on Thursday.
Avery Toole was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over 4.2 innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Brownsburg saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Paddock, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Castle's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-8. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Brownsburg, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-5 record this season.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Castle hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .351. However, it's not like Brownsburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Castle beat Brownsburg 8-5 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
