The Byron Center Bulldogs will face off against the Forest Hills Northern Huskies at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Byron Center's pitching crew has only allowed two runs per game this season, so Forest Hills Northern's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Byron Center came out on top against Caledonia on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run first inning. The Bulldogs took their matchup against the Fighting Scots 8-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs.
Keaton Van Kampen
| 05/15/25 @ Caledonia | 2 |
| 05/03/25 vs Big Rapids | 1 |
| 04/26/25 vs Zeeland West | 1 |
| 04/26/25 vs Zeeland West | 1 |
| 04/22/25 @ Mona Shores | 1 |
Nolan Booth and Keaton Van Kampen made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Booth pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Van Kampen tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Booth has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Booth went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Van Kampen went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Those two stolen bases gave Van Kampen a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alex Wauben, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted over his last 15 contests. The team also got some help courtesy of Deyvi Gomez, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Forest Hills Northern waltzed into their game on Wednesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Eagles a 6-0 shutout. The Huskies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Cory Smiewec's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Forest Hills Northern is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 9-10 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Justin St. Antoine was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Forest Hills Northern: the team is 5-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 7-9 otherwise. Devin Tiedgen was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Byron Center pushed their record up to 17-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs over those games. As for Forest Hills Northern, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
Everything went Byron Center's way against Forest Hills Northern when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Byron Center made off with a 13-2 win. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Huskies turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
