The Knightstown Panthers will face off against the Hauser Jets on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Knightstown is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. Everything went their way against North Decatur as they made off with a 24-7 victory. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won four in a row.
Knightstown got a massive performance out of Kelton Weaver, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple marked the first that Weaver has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jackson Daves, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Knightstown always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Hauser entered their tilt with Oldenburg Academy on Monday with 13 consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with 14. They blew past the Twisters 9-1.
Simeon Wasil made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Stryker Gill, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in April. Another player making a difference was R.J. Foster, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Knightstown's record now sits at 23-4. As for Hauser, their record is now 19-3.
Knightstown was able to grind out a solid victory over Hauser in their previous matchup back in May of 2016, winning 6-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
