Baseball Game Preview: Youngsville Eagles vs. Northwestern Wildcats

The Youngsville Eagles will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Youngsville will bounce into Wednesday's game after beating Jamestown, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. Youngsville had just enough and edged out Jamestown 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since April 29, 2024.

David Manning was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Those 15 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

In other batting news, Joshua Pikna was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Northwestern and Seneca meet (five straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Monday. Northwestern was the clear victor by an 18-7 margin over Seneca. The high-scoring effort was just what the Wildcats needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.

Like Youngsville, Northwestern also got a great game from a two-way player: Joe Schaukowitsch. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Schaukowitsch has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple.

In other batting news, Northwestern got a massive performance out of Solomon Bland, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was David White, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.

The victory got Youngsville back to even at 1-1. As for Northwestern, they now have a winning record of 2-1.