The Salem Wildcats will venture away from home to take on the Highland Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Salem had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Richland County on Thursday. The Wildcats blew past the Tigers 13-5. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won three in a row.
Carter Lowe was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Salem let Rhett Detering and Noah Nix run wild. Detering went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI, while Nix went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Nix a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Cody Beard, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Salem hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Waterloo typically has all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Highland proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on Waterloo with a sharp 9-2 win. The victory was nothing new for Highland as they're now sitting on four straight.
Braxdon Decker made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Garrin Stone was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Blaise Hawkins, who earned one RBI and two runs.
Salem's record is now 15-13. As for Highland, their record now sits at 18-12.
Salem came up short against Highland in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 5-2. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
