Wow… did the Reds have an incredible Friday evening at Great American!! Just back from the west coast, and wearing those black City Connect uniforms, Cincy really made things happen Friday evening, and their victims were the Los Angeles Angels. Elly De La Cruz stole 3 bases and hit a 3-run homer, Nick Lodolo came back from last year’s season-ending injury to pitch better, with better stuff, than most people thought he could, Spencer Steer was sharp trying first base, and Tyler Stephenson hit his second home run of the season! All of it adding up to a huge Reds win 7-1 over the Angels, a great start to a 7-game homestand. De La Cruz said afterward, the win was, in his word, “electrifying.” Game 2 in the series is on tap tonight, the Angels and Reds throwing the first pitch at 6:40. We’ll have the live broadcast for you, beginning at 6:10, only on the radio, on the Sports Voice, 103.9 FM WRBI.
There were plenty of high school ballgames at the end of the week too– Bellmont beat Franklin County softball 8-5.
In baseball, South Ripley tallied a big shutout, blanking Jac-Cen-Del 11-0… Hagerstown stayed unbeaten on the season, at the expense of Franklin County, the final 10-4. East Central visited Harrison over in Ohio, and got shut out 5-0, and Batesville beat Holy Cross of Kentucky in a Dixie Heights tournament, 10-3.
Saturday baseball action today includes Batesville facing Walton-Verona and Newport Central Catholic at that Kentucky event… Franklin County hosting Connersville… East Central is at Union County… and Oldenburg Academy is at South Dearborn.
It’s a softball Saturday for North Decatur, hosting Morristown… and South Ripley and Brown County are playing a double-header.
Congratulations again to East Central wrestler Tyler Stenger. He’s a rising junior who’s been one of the 9 statewide, named to be part of the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s Student Advisory Committee next school year, starting in the fall. Tyler’s not only an athlete, he’s also a Future Farmers of America member, and an honor roll student. That committee offers its members leadership training while serving fellow students by passing their concerns on to the adults of the IHSAA.