The Lexington Minutemen will head out to take on the El Paso-Gridley Titans at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Lexington is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
While Lexington's victory against Deer Creek-Mackinaw wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Minutemen won by a run and slipped past the Chiefs 10-9.
Kayden Knight
| 04/11/25 vs LeRoy | 4 |
| 04/22/25 @ Fisher | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Prairie Central | 3 |
| 04/30/25 vs Deer Creek-Mackinaw | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Midland | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
Kayden Knight was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Lexington is 6-1 when Knight posts two or more runs, but 4-7 otherwise. Blaine Friedmansky was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Lexington hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask El Paso-Gridley). They put the hurt on Fisher with a sharp 17-2 win on Wednesday. The Titans haven't had any issues with the Bunnies recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Blake Harris and Elliott Toth made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Harris pitched three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Toth tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three). At the plate, Harris went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Toth went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braden Hayes, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Dominic Ricconi, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Lexington is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for El Paso-Gridley, their record is now 6-16.
El Paso-Gridley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lexington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .472. It's a different story for El Paso-Gridley, though, as they've only averaged .364. Will they be able to contain Lexington's hitters?
Lexington came out on top in a nail-biter against El Paso-Gridley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Minutemen since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
