The Highland Bulldogs will challenge the Salem Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a four-game winning streak alive.
Highland barely beat Waterloo the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Highland put the hurt on Waterloo with a sharp 9-2 victory on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Highland has posted against Waterloo since May 19, 2021.
Braxdon Decker
| 05/21/25 @ Waterloo | 9 |
| 05/15/25 vs Triad | 11 |
| 05/07/25 @ Civic Memorial | 9 |
Braxdon Decker made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out nine batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Garrin Stone was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Blaise Hawkins was another key player, earning one RBI and two runs.
Salem not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 17th (when they won 21-2). They were the clear victors by a 13-5 margin over Richland County.
Like Highland, Salem also got a great game from a two-way player: Carter Lowe. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. Lowe was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Rhett Detering and Noah Nix did most of the damage at the plate: Detering went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Nix went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Cody Beard, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Salem hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Salem's victory bumped their record up to 15-13. As for Highland, their win bumped their record up to 18-12.
Highland beat Salem 5-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wildcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
