The Huntington North Vikings will head out on the road to face off against the Columbia City Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Huntington North will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
While Huntington North didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They came out on top against East Noble by a score of 6-2 on Tuesday.
Brayden Gearhart
| 04/29/25 vs East Noble | 8 |
| 04/21/25 @ Wabash | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ Peru | 7 |
| 04/11/25 @ Harrison | 0 |
| 04/10/25 @ Oak Hill | 2 |
| 04/05/25 @ Plymouth | 8 |
Brayden Gearhart tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April.
On the hitting side, James Linker was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
Meanwhile, Columbia City hadn't done well against Bellmont recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Eagles walked away with a 7-4 victory over the Braves. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Braves recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Columbia City's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Carter Wilkinson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Wilkinson has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Another was Gavin Trickle, who earned two runs and two stolen bases.
Huntington North pushed their record up to 9-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Columbia City, their record is now 10-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Huntington North has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Columbia City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Huntington North couldn't quite get it done against Columbia City in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 9-4. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
