The Halstead Dragons are taking a road trip to take on the Hillsboro Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Halstead might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 10-2 to Haven, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Dragons haven't had much luck with the Wildcats recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Noah Diehl
| 04/11/25 vs Haven | 3 |
| 04/11/25 vs Haven | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Nickerson | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs Nickerson | 5 |
| 04/04/25 @ Hesston | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Noah Diehl made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Reece Carmichael, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hillsboro). They put the hurt on Herington with a sharp 16-1 victory on Tuesday. With that win, the Trojans brought their scoring average up to 7 runs per game.
Dalton Philpott made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Hillsboro is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 1-5 otherwise. Philpott was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Aiden Hurst was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing six bases while going 2-for-2. Those six stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Ashton Talkington also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Hillsboro always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .560. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The victory made it two in a row for Hillsboro and bumps their season record up to 4-6. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Halstead, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Halstead has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hillsboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Halstead's way against Hillsboro in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Halstead made off with an 11-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Dragons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
