For the first time this season, Northeastern will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They are taking a road trip to face off against the Union County Patriots at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Northeastern barely beat Monroe Central the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Knights put the hurt on the Golden Bears with a sharp 11-1 win on Monday. The Knights' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The team relied heavily on Logan White, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Cam Gipson, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Union County made easy work of North Decatur on Tuesday and carried off a 14-2 victory. The win continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won nine in a row.
Logan Boone made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. He has become a key player for Union County: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most two hits, but 1-2 otherwise. Boone was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Cole Cheatham and Coleton Wicker did most of the damage at the plate: Cheatham scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5, while Wicker scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Cheatham a new career-high in triples (two). Isaiah Lowe also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Union County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Northeastern pushed their record up to 3-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Union County, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Northeastern has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Union County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Northeastern took their win against Union County in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
