After early set backs both squads appeared to be finding a strong form. Neither had fallen since the prior week, and had notched wins against contenders at multiple levels. The week had its up and downs against some good competitions for both squads as the boys and girls improved their overall records. Baseball Friday April 17: Delphi 3-North Montgomery 8 As the baseball squad entered the weekend with back to back wins earlier in the week, the streak would stop with the Chargers. The future potential sectional opponent held control of the game from the start. Taking a 1-0 lead in the first and 4-0 lead through 2 innings. Senior lefty Brett Huffman settled in, and Cason Mills came on in a jam in relief. The Chargin' Chargers starter finally was forced to exit the game in the 5th up 6-0. Mills would get a single to get the Oracles going, and the Delphi offense would notch 3 runs to cut the lead in half. Sadly for the home team this would be the end of their production. They would strand numerous base runners throughout the night and squander the comeback bid. Final score 3-8. Monday April 20: Delphi 1-Tri-Couty 3 The Oracles would head up to perennial 2A powerhouse Rochester on Monday. The Zebras sent their ace to the mound in 2026 Taylor University commit Carson Paulik. The hard throwing righty (~90mph) would pitch a complete game, striking out 13 of 28 batters faced. Briseno, Hutsell, and Fassnacht would combine on the bump for the Oracles holding the home team to just 3 runs and keeping the boys within striking distance. The Oracles would scatter 4 hits, but again just couldn't break through with a timely hit to drive in the necessary runs and stranding their scoring opportunities. Tuesday April 21: Delphi 14-Carroll 4 in 5 The Cougars came to town to open HHC play. Keygan Elliott pitched for the Oracles, and gave up a run in the first inning, but the Oracle bats would explode in the bottom half of the inning as the home team batted around and scored 11 to take a 10 run lead into the second. From there, they cruised to a smooth 14-4 victory in 5 innings. Brett Huffman would lead the game off with a double, and finish the day 3-4 with 3 runs, 4 RBI, and a HR. Cason Mills would score 2 runs along with Levi Coghill who went 1 for 2 and Xaine Tessier who went 1 for 3 with 1 RBI. Noah Hutsell added his part to the slugfest going 3 for 4 with 1 run and 1 RBI. Thursday April 23: Delphi 13-Sheridan 2 In their second HHC match-up of the week, the Oracles headed to Sheridan. The Oracles went into the top of the third tied at 0 and opened the game wide with a 9 run frame. They would tack on 2 more runs in each subsequent inning to finish the game by the mercy rule in 5 innings. Landon Stevens had a career day going 3 for 3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Brett Huffman went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles while earning the W on the mound in 4.1 innings with a 1.62 ERA. Noah Hutsell finished the remaining 2 outs. In JV competition, the boys headed to McCutcheon on Wednesday and played well earning the victory 8-2. Thursday with a split squad and limited availability of players they struggled to hold up to a full JV lineup from LCC 0-12. Softball Friday April 17: Delphi 3-Winamac 2 The girls took their show on the road Friday, heading to the new softball and baseball facility at Winamac. There they would face off with the Warriors boasting a perfect 7-0 record and a fresh #10 2A ranking. From the start the Oracles took control of the game. The held a 2-1 lead after the first, and added another run in the second. The would maintain the 3-1 lead until the 6th when the Warriors would get another back. Delphi would register 11 hits with Sami Leopard leading the charge going 3-4. The story of the night however was base running. What is normally an aggressive weapon for the Oracles, would teeter over the aggressive line and into a few mistakes. Uncharacteristically they were caught out of position and left some runs on the board. It almost came to hurt them in the final frame, as Mairi Cunningham was able to get a strikeout and pop out while the Warriors worked to load the bases. She was able to induce a second pop out, and the Oracles left on top 3-2. Monday April 20: Delphi 4-Twin Lakes 6 The contingency from Monticello came to Conner Field on Monday. The long standing rivals lead by former Twin Lakes North/South All-star Katie Reiff were much improved from their most recent seasons. The first three hitters went a combined 7 for 11. Twin Lakes struck in the first scoring one run. The home team would match them in the bottom of the second, only to see the Indians take the lead again in the next half inning by 2. In the fifth Delphi's bottom half of the lineup would take control. Mairi Cunningham smacked a double, Emma Draper would reach on a single putting runners on the corners. Emma would steal second on the next pitch as she knocked the ball out of the short stops glove, while Carly Hixson courtesy running for Mairi would delay her steal and score. Sami Leopard would drive in Emma and the game was all tied up. The middle of the lineup would take care of securing the lead. The defense would put up another 0, and in the bottom of the 6th Ava Mills would lead off with a double. Airy Lattimore who went 2 for 3 on the day would double driving her in and taking the lead with no outs. Unfortunately for the home team that would be the only run they were able to plate and took at 4-3 lead into the 7th. Mairi would face the bottom 3 hitters and get a strikeout, but the Indians managed to get runners on 2nd and 3rd. Twin Lakes' lead off hitter would pop out to Airy in front of the plate, and with 2 on and 2 outs the Oracles intentionally walked the second hitter to load the bases. Twin Lakes 3 hitter would clear the bases with a double, and that would be the difference as Delphi fell 4-6. Tuesday April 21: Delphi 3-Carroll 4 The team out east came to town in the baseball/softball double HHC format to open conference play. The Oracles would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the second and Carroll answered immediately in the next half inning. Both teams would be held scoreless in the 4th, before Delphi was able to utilize the middle and bottom half of their lineup to notch single runs in the 5th and 6th to take a 2 run lead. 3 outs away from a victory the Cougars were able to get runners on second and third with 2 outs when the 3 hole hitter hit a strong ball that lifted into the stiff winds and landed over the fence in right center. Entering the bottom half of the 7th the home team trailed by 1 run with lead off hitter Sami Leopard to starting the inning off. Sami doubled in the left center gap, Mady Anderson bunted to reach first, Abi Pearson bunted to load the bases with no outs. Ava Mills hit a hard grounder to third, and Sami was barely out at home. Airy then repeated the bad luck with a hard grounder to short and Mady was out at home by a step. Aly Stier then grounded out to end the game in a 1 run loss. Ava Mills lead the Oracles offensively going 2 for 4 with a run scored, and the staunch defense was flashing leather at all positions throughout the night stranding 6 Cougar runners, even in very tough windy conditions. Thursday April 23: Delphi 19-Sheridan 9 The girls would explode offensively early, notching a 5-0 margin in the first, followed by innings of 2/6/5/and 1 runs. Sami Leopard was 5 for 5 with 4 runs and 3 RBI, Abi Pearson went 4 for 5 with a triple and 3 runs, Mady Anderson was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, Kiyah Anderson was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI, and Ava Mills went 3 for 4 with 3 runs and 4 RBI. Mairi Cunningham pitched the first 4.1 innings earning the win, and Aly Stier came on for the last 2 outs. The Blackhawks never mounted any chance of winning in the game as the Oracles made substitutions giving up 6 runs in the 5th and still cruised to a 19-9 5 inning mercy rule. In JV competition the girls were only able to play a few innings of bonus time after varsity games with Carroll and Twin Lakes. Both teams were very limited in numbers, and the JV team had to face several of the varsity lineup. They look to get a better opportunity to compete on Saturday at BC in a 5 inning stand alone JV contest following the varsity game at 10a.