The Botkins Trojans will head out to square off against the Bradford Railroaders at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Botkins easily dispatched Cory-Rawson on Wednesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Trojans fell just short of Jackson Center by a score of 6-4 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Trojans have suffered since April 19, 2024.
Will Monnin
| 05/08/25 @ Jackson Center | 1 |
| 05/07/25 @ Cory-Rawson | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Spencerville | 1 |
Will Monnin made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Schuller, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Bradford posted their closest win since April 25, 2024 on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Twin Valley South.
Brock Schurnpal spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on one hit.
At the plate, Bradford's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Colton Gambill, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Rallie Wirrig also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Bradford's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-14. As for Botkins, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.
Botkins' speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Trojans have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Bradford, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Botkins continue to outrun the ball?
Botkins couldn't quite finish off Bradford in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can the Trojans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
