The Hebron Hawks will challenge the Hammond Central Wolves at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Hebron took a 12-run loss the last time they faced off against Morgan Township, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Hawks won by a run and slipped past the Cherokees 3-2. Surprisingly, this marked the Hawks' fourth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Hebron's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Josh Kenda, who went 2-for-3 with one run. Another was Cade Hildebrandt, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hammond Central can bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They blew past Bowman Academy 20-1. The result was nothing new for the Wolves, who have now won six contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Julian Santiago was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Hammond Central is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-7-1 otherwise. Santiago was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Hammond Central got a massive performance out of Juan Magallanes, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Magallanes has become a key player for the Wolves: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 5-7-1 otherwise. Christopher Buckley was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Hammond Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .833. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Hebron now has a winning record of 7-6-1. As for Hammond Central, their victory bumped their record up to 7-8-1.
Hebron took their win against Hammond Central when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wolves turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
