The Cowan Blackhawks will venture away from home to challenge the Eastbrook Panthers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Cowan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.1 runs per game this season.
Cowan blew Muncie Central out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday Muncie Central got their revenge. The Blackhawks fell just short of the Bearcats by a score of 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Blackhawks have suffered since May 16, 2024.
Jaydon Auker
| 05/08/25 vs Muncie Central | 4 |
| 04/29/25 @ Blue River Valley | 3 |
| 04/28/25 vs Seton Catholic | 3 |
| 04/11/25 @ Tri | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Union City | 3 |
| + 5 more games |
Jaydon Auker made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and four runs. He has become a key player for Cowan: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-4 otherwise. Gentry Groves was another key player, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and one double.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Panthers on Thursday. Eastbrook put the hurt on Elwood with a sharp 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for Eastbrook, who have now won eight games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Austin Mikel made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Blake Jacobs was incredible, going 2-for-3 with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacob McDermit, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Eastbrook always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Eastbrook has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Cowan, their loss dropped their record down to 8-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cowan has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Eastbrook struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cowan skirted past Eastbrook 11-10 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blackhawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
