The Jonathan Alder Pioneers will venture away from home to square off against the North Union Wildcats at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Jonathan Alder has four straight wins, North Union has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Jonathan Alder came out on top against Tecumseh on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Pioneers took their contest against the Arrows 9-4.
Jonathan Alder got a great performance from Taryn Miller as she tossed six innings while giving up three earned runs off nine hits. Miller has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Natalie Neumeier, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Riley Magginis was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, North Union didn't have quite enough to beat Shawnee on Wednesday and fell 2-1.
North Union saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kailin McElroy, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
North Union now has a losing record of 10-11. As for Jonathan Alder, their victory bumped their record up to 12-9.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Jonathan Alder hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. However, it's not like North Union struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jonathan Alder was able to grind out a solid win over North Union in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 10-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
