Heritage is 8-2 against Whitko since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Patriots are taking a road trip to challenge the Wildcats at 10:00 a.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Heritage 1.8, Whitko 2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Heritage proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by 20) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Norwell 4-3. Winning may never get old, but the Patriots sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Elijah Rauner
| 04/17/25 @ Norwell | 1 |
| 04/10/25 @ Van Wert | 0 |
| 04/01/25 @ New Haven | 1 |
Elijah Rauner made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
Rauner wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Iestyn Roe, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Lucas Taylor also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Whitko challenged Lakewood Park Christian on Thursday. The Wildcats blew past the Panthers 12-1. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Davin Day tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Whitko got a massive performance out of Riley Harman, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Crew Ebbinghouse, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Whitko was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .519. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .344 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Whitko's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 13.8 runs this season. As for Heritage, their record is now 4-1.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Heritage hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. However, it's not like Whitko struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Heritage's way against Whitko in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Heritage made off with an 8-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
