North Central is 9-1 against Hilltop since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Eagles will face off against the Cadets at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (North Central has six straight wins, Hilltop has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
North Central is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Edon on Thursday. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by nine runs or more this season.
Jackson Poynter made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. North Central is undefeated when Poynter posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise.
Tyler Meyers
| 04/23/26 @ Edon | 3 |
| 04/21/26 @ Stryker | 2 |
| 05/16/25 vs Stryker | 2 |
| 05/02/25 @ Montpelier | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Hilltop | 2 |
In other batting news, Tyler Meyers and Alex St John did most of the damage at the plate: Meyers went 3-for-4 with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base, while St John went 2-for-4 with five RBI, one run, and one double. Those three hits gave Meyers a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Logan Clark, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
North Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Edon only posted an OBP of .304.
Meanwhile, Hilltop fell victim to Montpelier and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 8-0 to the Locomotives. The contest marked the first time this year in which the Cadets were not able to get on the board.
Hilltop's defeat dropped their record down to 8-5. As for North Central, their record is now 7-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hilltop struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Central might still be hurting after the 13-5 loss they got from Hilltop in their previous matchup back in May of 2025. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
