The Heritage Patriots will square off against the Norwell Knights at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Heritage is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Heritage barely beat Adams Central the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Patriots were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over the Flying Jets on Thursday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Patriots considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Danica Fuller was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
Libby Cain
| 05/08/25 @ Adams Central | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Fort Wayne Snider | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Fort Wayne Bishop Luers | 1 |
| 05/11/24 vs Whitko | 1 |
| 05/04/24 @ Norwell | 1 |
In other batting news, Libby Cain was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Abriyah James, who went 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
Heritage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .650. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Adams Central only posted an OBP of .000.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Norwell's offense. They lost 21-0 to Carroll on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Knights' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Heritage has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Norwell, their loss dropped their record down to 9-5.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Heritage has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Norwell struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Heritage took their victory against Norwell in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-4 score. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
