The Norris Titans will face off against the Standing Bear Grizzlies at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Norris is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
Last Tuesday, Norris beat Lincoln Southeast 7-2.
Anden Papik
| 04/08/25 vs Lincoln Southeast | 1 |
| 04/01/25 @ Lincoln Northwest | 1 |
| 03/29/25 @ Waverly | 0 |
| 03/25/25 vs Crete | 1 |
Norris got a great performance from Anden Papik as he pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Papik has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Kaden Fredenburg was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his two plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Alec Small, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Norris was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .357 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Standing Bear's offense. They came up short against Lincoln Northwest on Tuesday, falling 6-0. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Grizzlies' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Standing Bear saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hayden Holdren, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Standing Bear has also been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last nine contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-9 record this season. As for Norris, their victory bumped their record up to 11-2.
Standing Bear's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Norris has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .496. It's a different story for Standing Bear, though, as they've only averaged .340. Will they be able to contain Norris' hitters?
Norris took their win against Standing Bear in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 13-0 score. Will the Titans repeat their success, or do the Grizzlies have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
