Heritage and Wakefield are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Huskies will face off against the Wolverines at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Heritage will be strutting in after a victory while Wakefield will be coming in after a defeat.
Heritage barely beat Wake Forest the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Huskies put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 13-4 win on Tuesday. The game was the first time the Huskies have beaten the Cougars on their field since May 10, 2022.
Holden Kafes looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances.
Jack Merrell
| 04/08/25 @ Wake Forest | 3 |
| 03/01/25 vs South Central | 2 |
| 04/27/24 @ Cary | 2 |
| 04/01/24 vs Knightdale | 2 |
| 03/08/24 @ Clayton | 2 |
On the hitting side, Jack Merrell was a standout: he fired off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tyler Abbe, who scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Heritage lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after a string of nine wins, Wakefield's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell just short of Millbrook by a score of 5-3. Wolverines fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Wildcats since on Thursday.
Ethan Wisler was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits. Wisler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Wisler wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ben Dudash, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that Dudash launched this season.
Heritage now has a winning record of 9-8. As for Wakefield, their loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 15-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Heritage has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wakefield struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Heritage came up short against Wakefield in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 7-2. Can the Huskies avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
