Baseball Game Preview: Kasson-Mantorville Komets vs. Pine Island Panthers

Kasson-Mantorville hasn't had much luck against Pine Island recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Komets will take on the Panthers at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday just wasn't the day for Kasson-Mantorville's offense. They fell just short of Cannon Falls by a score of 2-0 on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Komets have suffered since May 15, 2024.

Kasson-Mantorville saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sam Graunke, who went 1-for-2 with one double.

Meanwhile, Pine Island entered their tilt with St. Croix Prep on Saturday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Lions a 9-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won four contests by nine runs or more so far this season.

Luke Sems was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run and five RBI. Mason Jasperson was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.

Pine Island's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. As for Kasson-Mantorville, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

Kasson-Mantorville came up short against Pine Island when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 10-7. Can the Komets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.