The Pendleton Heights Arabians will head out to challenge the New Palestine Dragons at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Pendleton Heights turned things around against Lebanon on Friday. They put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 15-3 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Arabians considering their one-run performance the match before.
Brayden Stevenson
| 05/09/25 @ Lebanon | 5 |
| 05/02/25 vs Lapel | 6 |
| 04/25/25 vs Lawrence North | 12 |
| 04/10/25 @ Yorktown | 8 |
Brayden Stevenson made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mazon Saxon, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and two doubles. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Grile, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Pendleton Heights always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lebanon only posted an OBP of .360.
Meanwhile, New Palestine got themselves on the board against Connersville on Friday, but Connersville never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over the Spartans. The game was the first time the Dragons have beaten the Spartans on their field since April 26, 2017.
Jacob Morris and Gavin Neal were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Morris pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Neal pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. At the plate, Morris went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Neal went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Carsyn Baker was incredible, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and four RBI. Rigg Mahurin was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
New Palestine is on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Pendleton Heights, their record is now 12-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pendleton Heights has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like New Palestine struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pendleton Heights came up short against New Palestine in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 4-1. Can the Arabians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
