The Lenoir City Panthers will take on the Knoxville Catholic Fighting Irish at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lenoir City had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt First Baptist Academy on Tuesday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 15-1 win. That 14 run margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Reagan Helton and Molly Robinson were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Helton tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Robinson pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. At the plate, Helton went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Robinson scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-4. What's more, Robinson posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Lenoir City let Kylee Hanson and Sophie Reed run wild. Hanson scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Reed scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Addison Langley was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Lenoir City was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, while Knoxville Catholic put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Notre Dame. Knoxville Catholic blew past Notre Dame 10-0. Knoxville Catholic hasn't had any issues with Notre Dame recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Helen Rose O'Reilly and Claudia Schaad did most of the damage at the plate: O'Reilly scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Schaad went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryleigh McEnery, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Lenoir City's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-5. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Knoxville Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.
Both Lenoir City and Knoxville Catholic just can't seem to miss. The Panthers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.1 hits per game. However, it's not like Knoxville Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lenoir City came up short against Knoxville Catholic in their previous matchup back in March, falling 15-10. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
