The Wheeler Bearcats will head out on the road to face off against the Lowell Red Devils at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Wheeler's favor is that they have posted big run totals in their last three contests.
In what's become a running theme this season, Wheeler gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 15-5 margin over Merrillville.
Caleb McLaughlin looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, Nick Bravo was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jackson Smith, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Lowell entered their matchup against Highland on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. Lowell fell just short of Highland by a score of 3-2. It was the first time this season that Lowell let down their fans at home.
Jon Borowski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Lowell saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jacob Mish, who went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Wheeler is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. As for Lowell, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-2.
Lowell's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Wheeler has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .458. It's a different story for Lowell, though, as they've only averaged .321. Will they be able to contain Wheeler's hitters?
Wheeler skirted past Lowell 6-5 when the teams last played back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Wheeler since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
