The Perry Central Commodores will take on the Wood Memorial Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Perry Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Perry Central took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against Mt. Vernon, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Commodores had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 2-1 on Thursday.
Ethan Ball
| 04/18/25 @ South Spencer | 4 |
| 04/25/25 @ Mitchell | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs North Posey | 3 |
| 05/01/25 @ Mt. Vernon | 1 |
Ethan Ball spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up six Ks. He has become a key player for Perry Central: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-7 otherwise.
At the plate, Perry Central's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Owen Hubert, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Wood Memorial, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Shoals a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three contests by seven runs or more this season.
Houston Schoonover made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Schoonover was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Evan Bartley, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those stolen bases were his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Talan Strickland, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Wood Memorial's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Perry Central, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Perry Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Wood Memorial struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Perry Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Wood Memorial in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. Do the Commodores have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
