The Lawrence North Wildcats will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Pendleton Heights Arabians at 6:00 p.m. Lawrence North is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
Lawrence North is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering North Central just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 3-0 to the Panthers. The matchup marked the first time this season in which Lawrence North was not able to get on the board.
Lawrence North had to settle for second despite strong performances on the mound from Brendan Boynton and Wyatt Bastin Boynton tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits, while Bastin pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Boynton has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Lawrence North saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Logan Crock, who went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pendleton Heights, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Shelbyville 10-9.
Pendleton Heights got a massive performance out of Clint Miller, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Mazon Saxon was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Lawrence North's loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 9-2. As for Pendleton Heights, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lawrence North has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pendleton Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lawrence North took their victory against Pendleton Heights when the teams last played back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 9-1. Will Lawrence North repeat their success, or does Pendleton Heights have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
