The Independence Blue Devils will take on the Holy Name Green Wave at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The timing is sure in Independence's favor as the team sits on 12 straight wins at home while Holy Name has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road.
On Tuesday, Independence earned an 8-4 win over Rittman.
Anthony Sobonya
| 05/19/26 vs Rittman | 4 |
| 05/08/25 vs Oberlin | 3 |
| 04/03/26 vs Garfield Heights | 2 |
| 05/30/25 vs Dalton | 2 |
| 05/07/25 @ Fairview | 2 |
Anthony Sobonya made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over four innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Independence got a big performance out of Anderson Jolliffe, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Josh Peters, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Independence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Holy Name had no trouble coming through when it counted. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Lincoln West a 21-0 shutout on Thursday. The Green Wave's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Holy Name also got a great performance from Harrison Frank as he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. Frank also allowed no hits, which is notable because the Green Wave are 4-2 when he allows at most two hits, but 5-13 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Holy Name let Nick Nemeth and Brendon Preisel run wild. Nemeth went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Preisel went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and one RBI. Preisel has become a key player for Holy Name: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three hits, but 6-15 otherwise. Joe Svetz was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Holy Name's victory bumped their record up to 9-15. As for Independence, their win bumped their record up to 17-3.
Holy Name's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. It's a different story for Holy Name, though, as they've only averaged .213. Will they be able to contain Independence's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
