The New Prairie Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Portage Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. New Prairie's pitching crew has only allowed three runs per game this season, so Portage's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
New Prairie had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Highland on Tuesday. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Trojans. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by six runs or more this season.
Colton Griffiths
| 05/19/26 vs Highland | 0 |
| 05/12/26 @ Penn | 2 |
| 05/06/26 @ Mishawaka Marian | 2 |
| 05/01/26 @ La Porte | 2 |
Colton Griffiths spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Reed Robinson was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted over his last 12 matchups. The team also got some help courtesy of Sullivan Kress, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Portage came up short against La Porte on Wednesday and fell 7-4. The Indians have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hunter Cole was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. That's the fewest earned runs he has allowed over his last four games. He 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, Hunter Petri made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
New Prairie has been performing well recently as they've won 15 of their last 18 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Portage, their loss dropped their record down to 14-13.
New Prairie got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 against Portage by a conclusive 12-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
