The Mishawaka Cavemen will face off against the Goshen RedHawks at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Mishawaka is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over Wawasee on Wednesday. With that victory, the Cavemen brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Kamdon Putz and Shawn Nowacki did most of the damage at the plate: Putz got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI, two doubles, and one run, while Nowacki went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most hits Nowacki has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Izaiah Bute, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Mishawaka kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Goshen made sure to put some runs up on the board against Warsaw on Wednesday. The RedHawks put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 13-3 win. With that victory, the RedHawks brought their scoring average up to 6.6 runs per game.
Ryen Diaz spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on eight hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Braxton Cline was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. He has become a key player for Goshen: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 0-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Karter Marcum, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run.
The win (which was Mishawaka's third in a row) raised their record to 5-3. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Goshen, their win bumped their record up to 3-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mishawaka has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Goshen struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mishawaka came out on top in a nail-biter against Goshen when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 5-4. Do the Cavemen have another victory up their sleeve, or will the RedHawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
