Heritage is 7-2 against Castle View since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Eagles will look to defend their home field against the Sabercats at 4:15 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Heritage turned things around against ThunderRidge on Wednesday. They walked away with an 8-4 win over the Grizzlies.
James Kellogg made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Kellogg was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one double.
In other pitching news, Jaden McKinney looked comfortable as he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Mason VanWyk
| 04/23/25 vs ThunderRidge | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Rock Canyon | 2 |
| 04/05/25 @ Fruita Monument | 2 |
| 03/14/25 vs Arapahoe | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Mountain Vista | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
Back at the plate, Heritage let Mason VanWyk and Jameson Switzer run wild. VanWyk went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Switzer went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Heritage is 3-1 when VanWyk posts two or more runs, but 2-11 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Hunter Eells, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Heritage kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as ThunderRidge only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, Castle View faced Chaparral in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Sabercats blew past the Wolverines 8-2. The result was nothing new for the Sabercats, who have now won six contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Cole Cates spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Tommy Feldhake, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Derek Gordon, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Heritage's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 5-12. As for Castle View, their win bumped their record up to 13-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Heritage hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Castle View struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Heritage came out on top in a nail-biter against Castle View in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Sabercats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
