Indian Creek is 2-7 against Northview since June of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Indian Creek Braves will be staying on the road to face off against the Northview Knights at 5:30 p.m. Indian Creek is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.3 runs per game this season.
Indian Creek is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 17-3 margin over Owen Valley. Indian Creek might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won nine matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Nick Winters looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Colt DeHart, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Bryce Harmon, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Northview waltzed into their game on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Vikings and snuck past 7-5.
Caden Schrader made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits. Schrader was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with a home run.
In other batting news, Peyton Lear was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a double. Zac Buell was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Indian Creek's record now sits at 16-4. As for Northview, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matches, which provided a massive bump to their 15-8 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Indian Creek has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northview struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Indian Creek skirted past Northview 4-3 when the teams last played back in April. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Schrader, who struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Indian Creek still be able to contain Schrader? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
