The Perry Meridian Falcons will square off against the Covenant Christian Warriors at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Neither Perry Meridian nor Covenant Christian posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.
Perry Meridian fell victim to Mooresville and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Pioneers by a score of 1-0.
Jackson McDaniel
| 04/23/25 @ Mooresville | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs Franklin Community | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Franklin Community | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Decatur Central | 1 |
| 04/08/25 @ Decatur Central | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs New Palestine | 0 |
Not much got past Jackson McDaniel, who gave up just three hits and racked up six Ks to keep Mooresville off the board. McDaniel has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Perry Meridian saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Herndon, who went 1-for-4 with one double. Alex Acosta also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Covenant Christian came tearing into Wednesday's match with four straight wins , and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Sparkplugs a 2-0 shutout. While the Warriors didn't have the best season last year (they finished 13-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
The result came thanks to Nolan Guzman's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Blake Cope was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases.
Covenant Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Speedway only posted a batting average of .130.
Covenant Christian pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of two runs across that stretch. As for Perry Meridian, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Perry Meridian has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Covenant Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Perry Meridian came out on top in a nail-biter against Covenant Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 5-4. Will the Falcons repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
