Heyworth hasn't had much luck against Eureka recently, but that could start to change on Friday. Heyworth will venture away from home to take on Eureka at 4:30 p.m. Heyworth has given up an average of 6.6 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Heyworth couldn't beat Lexington on Wednesday even though they stacked nine runs on them in the second inning. The Hornets took a 16-11 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Minutemen. Even though they lost, the Hornets' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.4 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Heyworth got a good showing from Joe Eldredge, who pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits.
Braydon Laesch
| 04/13/26 @ Ridgeview | 3 |
| 04/08/26 vs LeRoy | 3 |
| 03/20/26 vs Henry-Senachwine | 3 |
| 04/22/26 vs Lexington | 2 |
| 03/31/26 vs Maroa-Forsyth | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
At the plate, Braydon Laesch led a balanced group of hitters, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Heyworth is 3-1-1 when Laesch posts two or more runs, but 2-8-1 otherwise. Lucas Bartels was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Eureka fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against El Paso-Gridley on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Titans by a score of 14-13. That's two games in a row now that the Hornets have lost by just one run.
Teagan McLaughlin and John Martin did some serious damage despite the final result: McLaughlin got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Martin went 2-for-5 with one home run and four RBI. Devon Wiles also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Heyworth's record is now 5-9-2. As for Eureka, their record now sits at 9-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Heyworth has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eureka struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Heyworth suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Eureka when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Can Heyworth avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
