The Indian Hill Braves will face off against the Batavia Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Wednesday, Indian Hill made easy work of Finneytown and carried off a 17-4 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Braves.
Griffin Adams looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jim Liebel, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three doubles, four RBI, and two runs. Brady Drost was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2.
Indian Hill always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. The last time their OBP was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Batavia got themselves on the board against Wilmington on Wednesday, but Wilmington never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 9-0 margin over the Hurricane. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Derek Richardson was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Batavia got a big performance out of Mason Patrick, who scored two runs while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Patrick a new career-high in hits (three). Another player making a difference was Brayden Schmittou, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Indian Hill's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Batavia, their win bumped their record up to 9-1.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Indian Hill hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .353. However, it's not like Batavia struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
