The Marion-Franklin Red Devils will square off against the Northland Vikings at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Marion-Franklin will be strutting in after a win while Northland will be coming in after a loss.
While Marion-Franklin's victory against East wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Red Devils sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 win over the Tigers on Thursday. The victory was familiar territory for the Red Devils, who have now won three games in a row.
Tony Jared made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off only two hits. Jared was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Marion-Franklin let Jaron Collins and Maxin Warner run wild. Collins went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double, while Warner went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases and two runs. Jamarion Parks was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Northland entered their contest against Mifflin on Wednesday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Vikings lost 14-8 to the Punchers.
Savon Craighead made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases and two runs. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jordan Singleton, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Marion-Franklin's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Northland, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4-1.
Marion-Franklin might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Northland in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Red Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
