Northwestern was not the first on the board on Wednesday, but they got there more often. They had just enough and edged out the North Union Wildcats 8-7. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 2-0 on Monday.
Reid Smith made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Northwestern's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 5-12 when he doesn't).
Cohlton Hughes
| 05/06/26 @ North Union | 2 |
| 05/02/26 vs Emmanuel Christian Academy | 1 |
| 05/01/26 @ Tecumseh | 1 |
| 04/30/26 vs Benjamin Logan | 1 |
| 04/24/26 @ London | 1 |
In other batting news, Cohlton Hughes was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hunter Taylor, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
The victory made it two in a row for Northwestern and bumps their season record up to 7-13. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.5 runs across that stretch. As for North Union, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 14 of their last 15 contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-17 record this season.
Northwestern and North Union could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Ohio Rankings. The Warriors will square off against Kenton Ridge at 5:15 p.m. on Friday with a big rank disadvantage (519 vs. 18). Meanwhile, North Union (ranked 553rd) will meet Bellefontaine (ranked 256th) at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
