The Mingo Central Miners will face off against the Van Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Van took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Mingo Central, who comes in off a win.
Mingo Central's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on Tolsia with a sharp 13-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Miners in their matchups with the Rebels: they've now won six in a row.
Dylan Vance made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Mingo Central is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 5-12 otherwise. Vance was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Aaron Blankenship
| 05/08/25 @ Tolsia | 1 |
| 04/24/25 vs Phelps | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ WestSide | 1 |
In other batting news, Corey Mahon and Aaron Blankenship did most of the damage at the plate: Mahon got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Blankenship went 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Blankenship has become a key player for Mingo Central: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least one home run, but 5-12 otherwise. Noah Newsome was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Mingo Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tolsia only posted an OBP of .227.
Meanwhile, Van was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against Mount View, falling 11-1. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Bulldogs couldn't push the score so high this time.
Van saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Easton Moore, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and one run.
Van's defeat dropped their record down to 2-20. As for Mingo Central, their victory bumped their record up to 7-13.
Van's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mingo Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. It's a different story for Van, though, as they've only averaged .244. Will they be able to contain Mingo Central's hitters?
Mingo Central beat Van 7-4 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Miners have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
