The Crawfordsville Athenians will head out to square off against the Greencastle Tiger Cubs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Crawfordsville managed to slip by North Montgomery the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Athenians lost 17-7 to the Chargin' Chargers on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Athenians have suffered against the Chargin' Chargers since May 11, 2022.
Crawfordsville got a good showing from Ethan Campbell, who tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits Campbell has allowed since back in April.
On the hitting side, Matt Miller was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason McCarty, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Greencastle entered their tilt with Brown County on Thursday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They were the clear victors by an 18-1 margin over the Eagles. The result was nothing new for the Tiger Cubs, who have now won 11 contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Dillion Hughes was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Nathan Sutherlin was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Bryton Gregg also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Greencastle always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Greencastle's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Crawfordsville, their loss dropped their record down to 8-10-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Crawfordsville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Greencastle struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Crawfordsville took their victory against Greencastle in their previous matchup back in March of 2015 by a conclusive 7-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Athenians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
