Bluestem and Cherryvale are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Lions will be playing at home against the Chargers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Bluestem will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Friday, Bluestem was able to grind out a solid victory over Erie, taking the game 4-1.
Tristan Highbarger made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Bluestem is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-8 otherwise. Highbarger was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Myles Highbarger
| 05/02/25 @ Erie | 2 |
| 05/02/25 @ Erie | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs Udall | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs Udall | 0 |
| 04/03/25 vs Flinthills | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Flinthills | 3 |
Highbarger wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Myles Highbarger, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases Myles has posted since back in April. Another was Carson Taylor, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Cherryvale got the win against Eureka on Thursday by a conclusive 17-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Chargers.
Like Bluestem, Cherryvale also got a great game from a two-way player: Wyatt Whittley. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Whittley was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Braxton Whittley was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Trenton Grimm was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Cherryvale's win bumped their record up to 6-12. As for Bluestem, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Bluestem came out on top in a nail-biter against Cherryvale when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
