Howards Grove hasn't had much luck against Chilton recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. Howards Grove will head out to square off against Chilton at 10:00 a.m.
Howards Grove is headed into Saturday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their tenth straight game on Tuesday. They fell 8-3 to St. Mary Catholic.
Braven Wilson made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Mason Scharl was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run.
Meanwhile, Chilton got the win against Roncalli on Thursday by a conclusive 13-1. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
Slaytt Nolan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
In other batting news, Peyton Juckem was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Hudson Ludwig, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Chilton hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Roncalli struck out 11 times.
Chilton has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Howards Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-15.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Howards Grove has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chilton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Howards Grove came up short against Chilton when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 5-1. Can Howards Grove avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
