Washington and Vincennes Lincoln are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Hatchets will challenge the Alices at 5:15 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Washington came out on top against South Knox on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Hatchets took their contest against the Spartans 6-1.
Alton Ostby
| 04/18/25 @ South Knox | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Tecumseh | 1 |
| 04/16/25 vs Loogootee | 1 |
| 05/21/24 vs Barr-Reeve | 1 |
| 04/04/24 @ Heritage Hills | 1 |
Alton Ostby was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
Washington hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Vincennes Lincoln had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. Everything went their way against the Braves as they made off with a 15-6 victory. Considering the Alices have won five games by more than eight runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Paxton Smith was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brody Phillips, who went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That triple was his first of the season. Luke Hall was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Vincennes Lincoln's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average this season. As for Washington, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-5 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Washington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Vincennes Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Washington couldn't quite get it done against Vincennes Lincoln when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Can the Hatchets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
