The Heyworth Hornets will square off against the El Paso-Gridley Titans at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Heyworth is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
Heyworth came out on top against Olympia on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fifth inning. The Hornets were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Spartans. Considering the Hornets have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Boston Katz
| 05/15/25 @ Olympia | 9 |
| 05/09/25 vs Bloomington Central Catholic | 5 |
| 05/02/25 @ Fieldcrest | 5 |
| 04/25/25 vs Eureka | 7 |
| 04/19/25 @ Roanoke-Benson/Lowpoint-Washburn | 7 |
| + 4 more games |
Boston Katz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Braydon Laesch and Maddox Klawitter did most of the damage at the plate: Laesch went 2-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double, while Klawitter went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Klawitter has become a key player for Heyworth: the team is 10-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 10-12 otherwise.
Heyworth lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, El Paso-Gridley fell victim to Mt. Pulaski and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Hilltoppers, falling 10-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Titans have suffered since April 16th.
El Paso-Gridley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Joah Knapp, who went 2-for-3 with one double.
El Paso-Gridley has also traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-20 record this season. As for Heyworth, their victory bumped their record up to 20-14.
Heyworth was able to grind out a solid win over El Paso-Gridley in their previous meeting back in April, winning 10-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
