Blackford has gone 8-2 against Eastern Hancock recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Bruins will head out to square off against the Royals at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Hancock took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Blackford, who comes in off a win.
Blackford was handed a ten-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Adams Central 8-6. Surprisingly, this marked the fifth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor in this series.
Koen Pitts
| 04/16/26 vs Muncie Central | 3 |
| 05/21/26 @ Adams Central | 2 |
| 05/07/26 vs Mississinewa | 2 |
| 04/25/26 vs Wes-Del | 2 |
| 04/25/26 vs Wes-Del | 2 |
| + 4 more games |
Koen Pitts and Owen Norton did most of the damage at the plate: Pitts went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Norton went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs. Pitts is becoming a predictor of Blackford's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-1 (and 7-14 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Bentley Storer, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Blackford hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Adams Central struck out ten times.
Shenandoah hit Eastern Hancock with a four-run second inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Royals took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Raiders. The loss continues a trend for the Royals in their meetings with the Raiders: they've now lost nine in a row.
Eastern Hancock also got a good showing from Gavin Shultz, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest earned runs Shultz has allowed since back in May of 2025.
On the hitting side, Eastern Hancock saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gavin Jenkins, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Blackford's record now sits at 12-15. As for Eastern Hancock, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Blackford has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Eastern Hancock struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Blackford couldn't quite get it done against Eastern Hancock when the teams last played back in May of 2025 as they fell 9-4. Can the Bruins avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
