For the first time this season, North East will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will head out on the road to square off against the Conneaut Area Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North East will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
While North East didn't have the best season last year (they finished 4-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Seneca on Monday.
Matt Nishnick looked comfortable as he pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, North East let Coen Turri and Colton Owens run wild. Turri went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI, while Owens scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Those two RBI gave Turri a new career-high. Colton Wittman also deserves some recognition as he got his first hits of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Conneaut Area, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They came out on top against Sharpsville by a score of 5-2 on Friday.
Conneaut Area saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chase Stewart, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI. Another was Lucas Aldrich, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
North East pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Conneaut Area, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
North East's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's contest. The Grape Pickers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Conneaut Area, though, as they've been averaging only 0.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will North East continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
