Hastings hasn't had much luck against Ionia recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Saxons will head out on the road to square off against the Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Hastings has given up an average of 11 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Hastings is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 14th straight game on Tuesday. They came up short against Marshall, falling 15-3.
Hastings saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Scott Sanders, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Miles Lipsey also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ionia). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Sexton a 15-0 shutout on Tuesday. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Big Reds recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Gaven Elvert was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Ionia got a massive performance out of Colt Piercefield, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave Piercefield a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mason Braman, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Ionia always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .565. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Ionia's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Hastings, their loss dropped their record down to 1-19.
Hastings might still be hurting after the 8-2 defeat they got from Ionia in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Saxons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
