Holy Cross is 1-9 against Highlands since March of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Indians will look to defend their home field against the Bluebirds at 6:00 p.m. Holy Cross is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Holy Cross had taken Lloyd Memorial down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Wednesday. The Indians fell just short of the Juggernauts by a score of 8-6. That's two games in a row now that the Indians have lost by exactly two runs.
Ethan Neal
| 04/02/25 vs Lloyd Memorial | 2 |
| 03/31/25 @ Holmes | 2 |
| 03/28/25 @ Newport | 2 |
| 03/24/25 vs Boone County | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ St. Henry | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
Ethan Neal made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Holy Cross: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ben Issenmann, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Highlands, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They came out on top against Conner by a score of 5-1 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Bluebirds in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won four in a row.
Adam Forton was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Forton was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That double was his first of the season.
Forton wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Garrett Wiggins, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
This is the second loss in a row for Holy Cross and nudges their season record down to 4-6. Even worse, they were so close both times: the losses came by an average of only two runs. As for Highlands, the win got them back to even at 4-4-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Holy Cross has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Highlands struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Holy Cross couldn't quite get it done against Highlands in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 4-0. Will the Indians have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
