The Mississinewa Indians will venture away from home to face off against the Eastbrook Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Mississinewa is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
Mississinewa took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They blew past Elwood 16-6. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Indians considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Kenny Ayala looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up a single earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Leyton Stearns
| 04/29/25 vs Elwood | 3 |
| 04/18/25 vs Southwood | 2 |
| 06/01/24 vs Delta | 1 |
| 05/17/24 vs Wabash | 1 |
| 05/10/24 @ Blackford | 1 |
At the plate, Leyton Stearns was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Kellen Rock was another key player, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Mississinewa hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Elwood struck out nine times.
Meanwhile, Eastbrook waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They came out on top against the Bruins by a score of 6-2.
Carter Daugherty was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over six innings pitched. Daugherty was also stellar in the batter's box, 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.
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. Another player making a difference was Malakai Luthy, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Mississinewa is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Eastbrook, they pushed their record up to 9-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mississinewa has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Eastbrook struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Mississinewa's way against Eastbrook when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Mississinewa made off with a 14-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
