The Loogootee Lions will head out to face off against the Heritage Hills Patriots at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Loogootee has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with four straight defeats, while Heritage Hills will come in with four straight wins.
Evansville Christian hit Loogootee with a five-run sixth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Lions took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles.
Meanwhile, Heritage Hills got the win against Mt. Vernon on Thursday by a conclusive 14-4. Considering the Patriots have won seven matchups by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Micah Toler made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Andersen Smith was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Braden Pruitt, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs.
Heritage Hills kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Heritage Hills pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Loogootee, their loss dropped their record down to 1-6.
Loogootee suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Heritage Hills when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
