The North Baltimore Tigers will venture away from home to take on the Hilltop Cadets at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Hilltop will be up against a hot North Baltimore squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Tigers blew past Riverdale 10-2 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Tigers have posted against the Falcons since April 17, 2019.
Zander South
| 03/27/26 vs Holgate | 6 |
| 04/07/26 vs Cory-Rawson | 3 |
| 04/02/26 @ Bucyrus | 3 |
| 05/07/26 vs Riverdale | 1 |
| 04/28/26 vs Upper Scioto Valley | 1 |
Zander South was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). North Baltimore is 3-1 when South allows one or fewer earned runs, but 5-8 otherwise. South was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jack Clark, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Those two runs gave him a new career-high. Drew Meggit was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
North Baltimore kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hilltop, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They never let Gorham Fayette get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Cadets, who have now won six contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Brennan Dempsey made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. Dempsey was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI.
In other batting news, Hilltop let Ezra Mahlman and Cameron Shimp run wild. Mahlman got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Shimp got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Alejandro Rubalcava, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
North Baltimore's record is now 8-9. As for Hilltop, their record now sits at 10-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Baltimore has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hilltop struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Baltimore got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in May of 2025 against Hilltop by a conclusive 12-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
