Liberty is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will challenge the Antioch Panthers at 4:00 p.m.
Liberty is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Rodriguez just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 5-4.
Jake Farr was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits.
At the plate, Dominic Staben was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Antioch ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They won by a run and slipped past West 12-11. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Jaxon Connelly looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Antioch's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is 2-1 (and 3-7 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, Nathan Fritzler was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run and three RBI. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Stanton Westhorpe, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4.
Antioch kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
With the win, Antioch broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 5-8. As for Liberty, their loss dropped their record down to 7-5.
Everything went Liberty's way against Antioch in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Liberty made off with a 6-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Lions since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
