Baseball Game Preview: Hibriten Panthers vs. Watauga Pioneers

The Hibriten Panthers will square off against the Watauga Pioneers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Hibriten proved they can win big on Friday (they won by ten) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Ashe County 4-3. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Huskies: they've now won four in a row.

Meanwhile, Watauga got the win against Alexander Central on Tuesday by a conclusive 10-1.

Everett Gryder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Watauga is 4-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-8 otherwise.

At the plate, Evan Burroughs was a standout: he scored two runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in February. Maddox Greene was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

Watauga's win bumped their record up to 8-9. As for Hibriten, their victory bumped their record up to 10-6.

Hibriten couldn't quite finish off Watauga when the teams last played back in March and fell 3-1. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.