The Hazen Highlanders will head out to face off against the Redmond Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Hazen is headed into the game having just posted their closest win since April 11, 2024 on Friday. They skirted past Liberty 3-1.
Logan Grossnickle
| 03/17/25 @ Skyline | 4 |
| 03/24/25 @ Inglemoor | 2 |
Logan Grossnickle spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Hazen is 3-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-4 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Joey Rubino was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and one RBI. Hazen is 3-1 when Rubino posts two or more stolen bases, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Troy Paternoster, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Redmond waltzed into their matchup on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Ravens 7-5. The game was the first time the Mustangs have beaten the Ravens on their field since March 28, 2018.
Lance Burt was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chase Lawson, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three). Leo Ciuca was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
The win got Redmond back to even at 6-6. As for Hazen, their record now sits at 4-5.
Everything went Hazen's way against Redmond when the teams last played back in March, as Hazen made off with a 7-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Highlanders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
