The Mitchell Bluejackets will face off against the Perry Central Commodores at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Wednesday, Mitchell got the win against White River Valley by a conclusive 9-2. The Bluejackets haven't had any issues with the Wolverines recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Conner Teague was excellent, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Dason Kerr was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Perry Central let Orleans stack five runs on them in the fourth inning on Wednesday but luckily Perry Central prevailed anyway. The Commodores skirted past the Bulldogs 9-8. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Commodores.
Zac Mitchell and Owen Hubert made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Mitchell tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Hubert struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Perry Central is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-5 otherwise. At the plate, Mitchell went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double, while Hubert got on base in two of his five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cohen Edwards, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two triples, two RBI, and one run. Those triples were his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Gehlhausen, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI.
Perry Central hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Orleans struck out 11 times.
Mitchell pushed their record up to 4-5 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Perry Central, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mitchell has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Perry Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mitchell skirted past Perry Central 2-1 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Will the Bluejackets repeat their success, or do the Commodores have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
