Portage was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the hands of the Illiana Christian Vikings. The Indians were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Vikings apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in May of 2025.
Hunter Cole
| 04/14/26 @ Merrillville | 4 |
| 04/08/26 @ Michigan City | 4 |
| 05/26/26 @ Illiana Christian | 3 |
| 05/19/26 vs La Porte | 2 |
| 05/20/26 @ La Porte | 1 |
| + 6 more games |
Hunter Cole was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Portage's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is 2-1 (and 12-14 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Kodie Young made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs and one double. He has become a key player for Portage: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 11-14 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Tyler Pirowski, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Portage now has a losing record of 14-15. As for Illiana Christian, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 17-10.
The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Portage will challenge Hobart at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Illiana Christian, they will take on Hanover Central at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Vikings 3.6, the Wildcats 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
