The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds will venture away from home to take on the Simon Kenton Pioneers at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Newport Central Catholic's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Simon Kenton's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Newport Central Catholic's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Thursday's struggle, when Beechwood hitters got past them. The Thoroughbreds came up short against the Tigers on Thursday, falling 12-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Thoroughbreds have suffered since May 10, 2024.
Henry Brooks was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. What's more, he gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had over his last three matches. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was his first of the season.
Brooks wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Parker Hurtt, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Eddie Bivens also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Simon Kenton was able to grind out a solid win over Holy Cross on Friday, taking the game 4-1. The victory continues a trend for the Pioneers in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won four in a row.
Like Newport Central Catholic, Simon Kenton also got a great game from a two-way player: Tre Beach. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Beach has become a key player for Simon Kenton: the team is 3-0-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-3-2 otherwise. Beach was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in both of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Charlie Overton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Ian Lawrence was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one triple.
The defeat was their first at home , dropping their record down to 10-5. As for Simon Kenton, their record is now 5-3-3.
Everything went Newport Central Catholic's way against Simon Kenton in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Newport Central Catholic made off with a 12-2 win. Will the Thoroughbreds repeat their success, or do the Pioneers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
