The Eastbrook Panthers will head out to challenge the Southwood Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Eastbrook's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Northfield. Considering the Panthers have won five matchups by more than seven runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Eastbrook got a big performance out of Gracie Elliott, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Olivia Legg was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Eastbrook kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 4-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Southwood got the win against Bluffton on Monday by a conclusive 16-6. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Natalie Sutphin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Rylee Thomas was incredible, going 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Izzy Ashba, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
The win made it two in a row for Eastbrook and bumps their season record up to 5-3. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 1 runs in those games. As for Southwood, their record is now 4-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Eastbrook hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Southwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Eastbrook came out on top in a nail-biter against Southwood when the teams last played back in April of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
