Heartland Christian had lost three games straight , but after bumping their record up to 3-7 on Thursday that streak is in the rearview. They walked away with an 11-7 victory over the East Palestine Bulldogs. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Lions' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Evan Farrell made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Farrell was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He also put up two doubles, which were his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Johnny Meyer, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those RBI were his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jack Morgan, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Lions
| 04/24/25 @ East Palestine | 40% |
| 04/23/25 @ Edison | 12.5% |
| 04/04/25 vs David Anderson | 19.2% |
| 04/03/25 @ Lake Center Christian | 9.1% |
| 04/01/25 vs Maplewood | 18.8% |
| + 4 more games |
Heartland Christian was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2024.
As for East Palestine, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 9-6. Surprisingly, this marked their fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Like Heartland Christian, East Palestine also got a great game from a two-way player: Kyler Bourne. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). What's more, Bourne gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had over his last four matchups. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Kealin Simon was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Brad Bartels was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Coming up, Heartland Christian will head out to take on John F. Kennedy Catholic at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Eagles' pitching crew has only allowed 2.1 runs per game this season, so the Lions' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for East Palestine, they will look to defend their home field on Friday against East Liverpool at 5:00 p.m. The Bulldogs are facing the Potters at the right time seeing as the Potters are stuck on an eight-game losing streak.
