East Noble and Fort Wayne Northrop are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Knights will welcome the Bruins at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. East Noble is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last five games.
East Noble proved they can win big on Monday (they won by 18) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out DeKalb 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted since May 21, 2024.
Abby Alwine
| 04/26/25 vs Lakeland | 3 |
| 04/23/25 @ South Adams | 5 |
| 04/12/25 vs Garrett | 6 |
| 04/14/25 @ Central Noble | 7 |
| 04/15/25 @ Warsaw | 8 |
Abby Alwine spent all 13 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on 11 hits and racked up 14 Ks. Those 14 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Aubrey Helmkamp was excellent, getting on base in four of her seven plate appearances with one triple and one run. Another player making a difference was Bri Bortner, who went 2-for-6 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
East Noble kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, while Fort Wayne Northrop put up plenty of runs on Monday, the same can't be said for Fort Wayne Wayne. The Bruins were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over the Generals. With that win, the Bruins brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
The team relied heavily on Baylee Huth, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three doubles, and four RBI. Makenzie Key was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Fort Wayne Northrop is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.2 runs over those games. As for East Noble, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East Noble hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Fort Wayne Northrop struggles in that department as they've averaged .338. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Noble couldn't quite finish off Fort Wayne Northrop in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 4-2. Will the Knights have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
