The Wheeler Bearcats will challenge the Portage Indians at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Portage will be up against a hot Wheeler squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Bearcats never let Whiting get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Friday.
Grace Gabriel
| 04/25/25 vs Whiting | 8 |
| 04/22/25 @ Hammond Bishop Noll | 10 |
| 04/14/25 @ Illiana Christian | 11 |
| 04/10/25 @ North Newton | 11 |
| 04/03/25 vs Washington Township | 6 |
Grace Gabriel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Olivia Hessling was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one run. Faith Kromray was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Portage can bid farewell to their six-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Michigan City with a sharp 18-2 victory. The high-scoring effort was just what the Indians needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Like Wheeler, Portage also got a great game from a two-way player: Elisea Orozco. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave Orozco a new career-high in strikeouts (three). She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Cora Kingrey was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Savannah Riley, who went 2-for-3 with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
Portage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Michigan City only posted an OBP of .348.
Portage's win bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Wheeler, their victory bumped their record up to 6-3.
Portage's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Wheeler has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Portage, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 strikeouts. Will Wheeler keep running through batters, or will the Indians buck the trend?
Wheeler came out on top in a nail-biter against Portage in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Bearcats repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
