vs
| 05/02/22 - Away | 20-2 W |
| 04/13/22 - Home | 14-8 W |
| 05/06/21 - Home | 14-3 W |
| 04/16/21 - Away | 19-4 W |
Licking Valley has gone a perfect 4-0 against Zanesville recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Panthers will host the Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Licking Valley has three straight wins, Zanesville has 17 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Licking Valley had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 16-run drubbing they dealt Northridge last Friday. The Panthers never let the Vikings get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. That 16 run margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Emory Whisner made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Whisner was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with four RBI and one double. That hit was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Taylor Penick was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Those runs were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Tori Baughman, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-2.
Licking Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Zanesville came up short against Licking Heights on Friday, falling 18-1.
Licking Valley pushed their record up to 3-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Zanesville, their loss dropped their record down to 0-7.
Licking Valley's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's match. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Zanesville, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Licking Valley continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Licking Valley's way against Zanesville when the teams last played back in May of 2022, as Licking Valley made off with a 20-2 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Blue Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
