The Eastbrook Panthers will face off against the Mississinewa Indians at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Eastbrook is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
On Tuesday, Eastbrook was able to grind out a solid win over Blackford, taking the game 6-2.
Carter Daugherty made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out ten over six innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. He also scored two runs, which is notable because Eastbrook is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-5 otherwise.
Ryder Gipson
| 04/29/25 vs Blackford | 3 |
| 04/26/25 vs Wabash | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Madison-Grant | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs Wabash | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ Northfield | 1 |
In other batting news, Ryder Gipson was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Kyler Hackman was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Eastbrook was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Mississinewa). They blew past Elwood 16-6 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Indians in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won six in a row.
Kenny Ayala looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
At the plate, Mississinewa got a massive performance out of Leyton Stearns, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That double marked the first that Stearns has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Kellen Rock, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Eastbrook's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Mississinewa, their win bumped their record up to 6-4.
Mississinewa's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Eastbrook hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. It's a different story for Mississinewa, though, as they've only averaged .240. Will they be able to contain Eastbrook's hitters?
Eastbrook suffered a grim 14-3 defeat to Mississinewa when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
