Urbana and Shawnee are an even 3-3 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Hillclimbers will host the Braves at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Urbana has six straight victories, Shawnee has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
If Urbana beats Shawnee with seven runs on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. The Hillclimbers came out on top against Tecumseh by a score of 7-4 on Thursday.
Grady Lantz
| 05/08/25 vs Tecumseh | 9 |
| 05/01/25 @ Graham Local | 12 |
| 04/23/25 vs London | 12 |
| 04/17/25 @ Greeneview | 6 |
Grady Lantz made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Colt Teepe was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Shane Hoffman, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Shawnee and Bellefontaine meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Braves came up short against the Chieftains, falling 13-4.
Joey Ross made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Luke Finnell was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Shawnee's loss dropped their record down to 4-11. As for Urbana, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Urbana beat Shawnee 8-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Hillclimbers repeat their success, or do the Braves have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
