The Palmyra Panthers will be taking part in a tournament against the Marceline Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Palmyra is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Palmyra's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against South Shelby as they made off with a 22-0 win. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Rylan Compton
| 05/08/25 @ South Shelby | 3 |
| 04/22/25 vs Highland | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Clark County | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Bowling Green | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Elsberry | 2 |
Rylan Compton made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and two RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bryant Horstmeier, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Colby Jones, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Palmyra hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Marceline, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They had just enough and edged out Northwestern 9-8 on Monday.
Like Palmyra, Marceline also got a great game from a two-way player: Cody Rodgers. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off ten hits. Rodgers was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Marceline is undefeated when Rodgers posts three or more hits, but 6-13 otherwise.
In other batting news, Payton Gladbach was excellent, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Dax Thomas, who earned one RBI, three runs, and one stolen base.
Palmyra is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Marceline, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-13.
Marceline's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Palmyra has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .478. It's a different story for Marceline, though, as they've only averaged .339. Will they be able to contain Palmyra's hitters?
Everything went Palmyra's way against Marceline in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Palmyra made off with a 12-2 victory. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
