The Nease Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Middleburg Broncos at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Nease's last matchup with Sandalwood could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's game on Friday. The Panthers lost 16-1 to the Saints. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Panthers have suffered since May 1, 2024.
Nease saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mia Buitrago, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, it looked like the Kentucky Derby when Middleburg duked it out with Mandarin on Friday. The Broncos put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 12-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Broncos, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Lily Bennett made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kerra Clarida was a standout: she scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Caylee Johnson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Middleburg lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in February.
Middleburg is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Nease, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 6-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nease has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Middleburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Nease couldn't quite get it done against Middleburg in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 as they fell 5-2. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
