The Fort Wayne Canterbury Cavaliers will square off against Fort Wayne Crusaders at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Fort Wayne Canterbury is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Fort Wayne Canterbury came out on top against Fort Wayne South Side on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fifth inning. The Cavaliers took their matchup against the Archers 8-4. The Cavaliers haven't had any issues with the Archers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
JP Rohwer
| 05/09/25 @ Fort Wayne South Side | 1 |
| 04/23/25 @ Bluffton | 1 |
| 04/21/25 @ Central Noble | 1 |
JP Rohwer made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Fort Wayne Canterbury is 6-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 2-3 otherwise. Rohwer was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Fort Wayne Canterbury let Braylon Maxey and Noah Hayes run wild. Maxey got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double, while Hayes went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most RBI Maxey has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Maloblocki, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Fort Wayne Canterbury kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Fort Wayne Crusaders, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They walked away with a 6-2 win over Lakewood Park Christian on Tuesday.
Christian Bontrager was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Bontrager wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Shepard Merica, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. That stolen base marked the first that Merica has snagged this season. Justin Boyd was another, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run.
Fort Wayne Canterbury's victory bumped their record up to 8-4. As for Fort Wayne Crusaders, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-5.
Fort Wayne Crusaders' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Fort Wayne Canterbury hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. It's a different story for Fort Wayne Crusaders, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Fort Wayne Canterbury's hitters?
Fort Wayne Canterbury took their victory against Fort Wayne Crusaders in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 11-3 score. Will the Cavaliers repeat their success, or do Fort Wayne Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
