vs
| 05/11/23 - Home | 2-13 L |
| 05/12/22 - Away | 10-2 W |
| 05/13/21 - Home | 3-0 W |
| 05/04/19 - Neutral | 9-0 W |
| 05/10/18 - Away | 13-1 W |
| + 4 more games |
Pioneer has gone 8-1 against West Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Panthers will welcome the Trojans at 5:00 p.m. Pioneer is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Pioneer didn't have quite enough to beat North Miami and fell 10-9.
Lois Layer was huge no matter where she played even without the win. She tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and nine unearned) runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Olivia Fisher was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Addison Kennell, who went 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Meanwhile, West Central won against Knox on Friday with three runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Trojans didn't even let Argos on the board, marking the Trojans' second-straight 3-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Trojans in their matchups with the Dragons: they've now won seven in a row.
Not much got past Jalie Glasford, who gave up just four hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Argos off the board.
On the hitting side, Kailee Bishop was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
West Central's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-5. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Pioneer, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 13-9.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pioneer hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like West Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pioneer might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from West Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
