The Haslett Vikings are taking a road trip to take on the Charlotte Orioles at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Haslett came out on top against Eastern on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive 16-run third inning. The Vikings put the hurt on the Quakers with a sharp 20-4 victory. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Vikings' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Asher Fackler
Asher Fackler was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Haslett is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-3 otherwise. Fackler was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Rienstra, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ethan Kingdon, who went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Haslett kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Eastern only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, Charlotte had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They never let the Big Reds get on the board and left with an 18-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Orioles, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Jackson Stewart and Christian Powers made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Stewart tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Powers pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Stewart has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Stewart went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI, while Powers went 1-for-3 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Karter Jackson was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ty Bowzer, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs and three RBI.
Charlotte's victory was their first in the league, bumping their league record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 7-3. As for Haslett, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Haslett came out on top in a nail-biter against Charlotte in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
