Cadets
| 04/28/26 vs Montpelier | 0 |
| 04/24/26 vs Edon | 4 |
| 04/23/26 @ Holgate | 2 |
| 04/21/26 @ Gorham Fayette | 12 |
| 04/20/26 vs Erie-Mason | 14 |
| + 8 more games |
Hilltop is 1-9 against North Central since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cadets will be playing in front of their home fans against the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. Hilltop is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Hilltop's offense. They lost 8-0 to Montpelier on Tuesday. The game marked the first time this season in which the Cadets were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, North Central came tearing into Thursday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over the Bombers. The Eagles' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jackson Poynter made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. North Central is undefeated when Poynter posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise.
In other batting news, Tyler Meyers and Alex St John did most of the damage at the plate: Meyers went 3-for-4 with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while St John went 2-for-4 with five RBI, one run, and one double. Those four runs gave Meyers a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Logan Clark, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
North Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Edon only posted an OBP of .304.
Hilltop's loss dropped their record down to 8-5. As for North Central, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hilltop has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like North Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Hilltop's way against North Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2025, as Hilltop made off with a 13-5 victory. Do the Cadets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
