West Lafayette is 7-2 against Merrillville since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Red Devils will look to defend their home field against the Pirates at 11:00 a.m. Merrillville took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on West Lafayette, who comes in off a win.
West Lafayette came out on top against Lafayette Jefferson on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run seventh inning. The Red Devils were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over the Bronchos.
Ben Werth
| 04/17/26 @ Logansport | 5 |
| 04/06/26 @ Frankfort | 3 |
| 05/15/26 @ Tipton | 2 |
| 05/11/26 vs Delphi Community | 2 |
| 04/28/26 vs Benton Central | 2 |
| + 1 more games |
Ben Werth made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because West Lafayette is 4-2 when he allows at most two walks, but 4-13 otherwise. Werth was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two triples, five RBI, and two runs. Those two triples gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Calvin Snyder, who went 1-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Meanwhile, Merrillville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They came up short against Hammond Bishop Noll, falling 11-4. Pirates fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team has lost against the Warriors since Friday.
Merrillville saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Evan Goodwin, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Merrillville's loss dropped their record down to 6-20. As for West Lafayette, their victory bumped their record up to 8-15.
Everything went West Lafayette's way against Merrillville in their previous meeting back in May of 2025, as West Lafayette made off with an 8-2 win. Will the Red Devils repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
