An exciting North v. South battle is about to be fought. The Northfield Norsemen will square off against the Southwood Knights at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Northfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Northfield turned things around against Fremont on Saturday. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 9-3 win. The game was the first time the Norsemen have beaten the Eagles on their field since June 2, 2018.
Jaden Baer
| 05/17/25 @ North White | 3 |
| 05/07/25 @ Whitko | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Fort Wayne North Side | 3 |
| 05/24/25 vs Fremont | 2 |
| 05/12/25 @ Lewis Cass | 2 |
| + 10 more games |
Jaden Baer was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Northfield's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 6-1 (and 5-15 when he doesn't). Kam Pratt was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Northfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 6-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Southwood was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 19th straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Manchester, falling 17-11. On the bright side, the 11- run effort marked the Knights' highest-scoring game to date.
Coan Holloway was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ivan Ranck, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Southwood's defeat dropped their record down to 0-18. As for Northfield, their victory bumped their record up to 11-16.
Southwood's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Northfield has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Southwood, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 strikeouts. Will Northfield keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend?
Northfield was able to grind out a solid win over Southwood in their previous matchup two weeks ago, winning 8-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Norsemen since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
