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05/04/24 - Away | 15-0 W |
05/18/22 - Home | 15-3 W |
05/08/21 - Home | 8-0 W |
05/04/19 - Home | 6-0 W |
Delavan is a perfect 4-0 against Cornerstone Christian since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Panthers will host the Cyclones at 10:00 a.m.
On Thursday, Delavan didn't have quite enough to beat Brimfield and fell 5-4. The defeat continues a trend for the Panthers in their meetings with the Indians: they've now lost five in a row.
Braden Arrenholz put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. What's more, he gave up only three walks, the fewest he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Kelton Nafziger was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cornerstone Christian, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They came out on top against Ridgeview by a score of 7-2 on Saturday.
Like Delavan, Cornerstone Christian also got a great game from a two-way player: Josh Kursell. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Kursell also tossed a walk, which is notable because Cornerstone Christian is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 2-10 otherwise. Kursell was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Evan Tom was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. What's more, he posted two hits, the most he's had since back in April.
Cornerstone Christian's win bumped their record up to 4-11. As for Delavan, their loss dropped their record down to 12-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Delavan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cornerstone Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Delavan's way against Cornerstone Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Delavan made off with a 15-0 victory. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Cyclones have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.