The Jackson Center Tigers will head out on the road to challenge the Troy Christian Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The last five games Jackson Center has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Thursday, Jackson Center sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over Botkins. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted against the Trojans since April 21, 2022.
Preston Serr
| 04/17/25 vs Fort Loramie | 5 |
| 04/26/25 @ Lehman Catholic | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Ridgemont | 1 |
Preston Serr spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on 12 hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Jackson Center is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-9 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Blake Noble, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Kaiden Geuy also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Thursday as neither Troy Christian nor Bethel made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Eagles skirted past the Bees 3-2.
Troy Christian also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Judah Simmons gave up two runs (both of which were unearned) on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. Simmons has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Landon Day was excellent, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was J.B. Walters, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Troy Christian is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Jackson Center, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-9.
Jackson Center came out on top in a nail-biter against Troy Christian in their previous matchup back in May of 2021, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
