Whitehall is 0-4 against Arcadia since June of 2016 but things could change on Saturday. The Norse will square off against the Raiders at 12:00 p.m. Whitehall will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
Whitehall had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the nine-run drubbing they dealt Melrose-Mindoro on Friday. The Norse blew past the Mustangs 12-3.
Luke Matejka spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on two hits.
At the plate, Alex Sartor and Mason Pientok did most of the damage at the plate: Sartor went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Pientok got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of William Youngbauer, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Whitehall lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Arcadia). They won by a run and slipped past Blair-Taylor 15-14. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted since April 29th.
Arcadia let Austin Fernholz and Deklyn Grzadzielewski run wild. Fernholz went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Grzadzielewski got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Arcadia is 2-1 when Grzadzielewski posts two or more stolen bases, but 7-10 otherwise. Login Scow also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Whitehall pushed their record up to 8-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Arcadia, their record now sits at 9-11.
Whitehall came up short against Arcadia when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 5-1. Can the Norse avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
