The Concord Minutemen will challenge the Fairfield Falcons at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Concord put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Elkhart Christian Academy a 21-0 shutout. The win continues a trend for the Minutemen in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won six in a row.
Jesus Esparza
| 04/24/25 vs Elkhart Christian Academy | 10 |
| 04/17/24 vs Plymouth | 6 |
| 05/15/24 @ Wawasee | 5 |
| 05/03/24 @ Plymouth | 5 |
| 04/24/24 @ Goshen | 5 |
Jesus Esparza was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Damian Ponce was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. Noah Norwood was another key player, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Concord always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .675. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Fairfield entered their match against New Prairie on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Falcons came up short against the Cougars, falling 16-10. The Falcons just can't catch a break and have now endured three losses in a row.
Like Concord, Fairfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Drew Beachy. He tossed six innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Beachy also tossed a walk, which is notable because Fairfield is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-4 otherwise. Beachy was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs.
Beachy wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Kauffman, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one double and one RBI. Another was Garrett Stoltzfus, who got on base in two of his five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Concord's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Fairfield, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-5.
Concord skirted past Fairfield 4-2 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Minutemen repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
