The Rittman Indians will head out on the road to challenge the Fairless Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Rittman's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Fairless' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Wednesday, Rittman didn't have quite enough to beat Hillsdale and fell 8-7. The Indians have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Spencer Welch
| 04/21/25 @ Lincoln West | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Clearview | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ Hillsdale | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Crestline | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Smithville | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
Rittman saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Spencer Welch, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. The Indians are 4-1 when Welch posts two or more runs, but 3-6 otherwise. Another was Carson Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Fairless not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since March 31st (when they won 13-1). They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Aquinas. With that victory, the Falcons brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Mike Ritterbeck made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Ritterbeck was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Fairless got a massive performance out of Lucas Peters, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those three hits gave Peters a new career-high. Blake Gregorich also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Fairless kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive games.
Rittman's loss dropped their record down to 7-7. As for Fairless, their record now sits at 8-3.
Rittman's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Indians have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Fairless, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Rittman continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Rittman's way against Fairless in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Rittman made off with a 7-1 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.
