The Carmel Greyhounds will take on the Floyd Central Highlanders at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Carmel has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Floyd Central will arrive with six straight wins.
Last Thursday, Carmel came up short against Mt. Vernon and fell 4-1. The matchup marked the Greyhounds' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Carmel got a good showing from Chelsea Bennett, who pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Bennett has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Carmel saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chloe Junkersfield, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Floyd Central). Everything went their way against Columbus East on Thursday as they made off with a 16-1 victory. With that win, the Highlanders brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Adeline Shultz looked comfortable as she struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in May of 2025.
On the hitting side, Nora Koehler was a standout: she fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-5. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2025. Natalie Curtis was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Floyd Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 22 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 12.4.
Carmel now has a losing record of 2-3. As for Floyd Central, their record is now 7-3.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Carmel hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. However, it's not like Floyd Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Carmel came out on top in a nail-biter against Floyd Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 8-6. Do the Greyhounds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Highlanders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
