The Minster Wildcats will square off against the Mohawk Warriors at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Minster 2.7, Mohawk 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Friday just wasn't the day for Minster's offense. They fell 5-0 to Marion Local on Friday. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Wildcats' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Minster saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Reece Albers, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Mohawk came out on top against Seneca East on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run second inning. The Warriors blew past the Tigers 10-1. Considering the Warriors have won 11 games by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Aubrey Gottfried made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Katie Woodland, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Emily Brickner, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Mohawk kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Seneca East only managed five hits.
Mohawk's victory bumped their record up to 15-4. As for Minster, their loss ended a 14-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 14-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Minster hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Mohawk struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Minster's way against Mohawk in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, as Minster made off with a 9-3 win. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
