The Hebron Hawks will challenge the Griffith Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Hebron managed to slip by Washington Township the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Hawks lost 8-2 to the Senators on Monday.
Hebron saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Owen Walstra, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
While Griffith didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. Everything went their way against Lake Station Edison on Tuesday as they made off with a 14-3 win. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Fighting Eagles recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Steve McDermott made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits (and only one walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Griffith let Anthony Feliciano and Logan Jimenez run wild. Feliciano went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Jimenez went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits Jimenez has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Davenport, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Griffith always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .688. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Griffith's win bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Hebron, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hebron has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Griffith struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hebron took their victory against Griffith in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 17-2 score. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.