The Henderson Warriors will venture away from home to challenge the Oxford Hornets at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Henderson's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Oxford's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While Henderson's win against Downingtown West wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Warriors skirted past the Whippets 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Warriors have posted against the Whippets since April 2, 2022.
Shane Manuel
| 04/23/25 vs Downingtown West | 5 |
| 04/02/25 vs Bishop Shanahan | 4 |
| 03/19/25 @ Downingtown West | 3 |
| 03/14/25 @ Phoenixville | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs Great Valley | 1 |
Henderson got a great performance from Shane Manuel as he pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave Manuel a new career-high in strikeouts (five).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Zach Ward, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Sam Prior also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Oxford, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Wednesday. They came out on top against Kennett by a score of 11-6 on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Blue Demons: they've now won eight in a row.
Kayden Baumgardner made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Oxford is 4-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-7 otherwise. Baumgardner was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Sam Stancil was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Landon Rozich, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Oxford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Henderson pushed their record up to 10-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Oxford, their record now sits at 5-8.
Henderson took their victory against Oxford when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
