Baseball Game Preview: Montgomery Central Indians vs. Portland Panthers

The Montgomery Central Indians will head out on the road to take on the Portland Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Montgomery Central is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.

Montgomery Central blew Northwest out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Saturday Northwest got their revenge. The Indians fell just short of the Vikings by a score of 7-5. Indians fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Vikings since on Saturday.

Dylan Fulton made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Andrew Steele also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.

Portland hadn't beaten Springfield on the road since April 15, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Yellow Jackets 6-5.

Kevin Cook tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Portland is 4-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 8-17 otherwise.

On the hitting side, Jesiah Scharklet and Jay Guthrie did most of the damage at the plate: Scharklet went 1-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base, while Guthrie went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Portland is undefeated when Guthrie posts two or more runs, but 9-19 otherwise. Cayden Lane was another key player, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.

Portland has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-19 record this season. As for Montgomery Central, their loss dropped their record down to 9-19.

Montgomery Central skirted past Portland 13-11 in their previous meeting back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Indians since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.