The Goshen RedHawks will challenge the NorthWood Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Goshen will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Wawasee on Monday. The RedHawks blew past the Warriors 11-1. The RedHawks haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Bray Hoag spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Goshen got a massive performance out of Braxton Cline, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Manny Pizana was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.
Goshen always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wawasee only posted an OBP of .182.
Meanwhile, NorthWood owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Monday. They put the hurt on Plymouth with a sharp 6-0 win.
Finley Miller was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Jett Rulli and Ryder Ransberger did most of the damage at the plate: Rulli went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double, while Ransberger went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI. Those four RBI gave Rulli a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Drew Rains, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one double.
Goshen's victory bumped their record up to 17-5. As for NorthWood, their win bumped their record up to 14-9.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Goshen hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .355. However, it's not like NorthWood struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Goshen beat NorthWood 11-6 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the RedHawks repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
