The Newberry Panthers will square off against the Keystone Heights Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Newberry will aim to continue their four-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Newberry is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Interlachen. Considering the Panthers have won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Madison Rodgers looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Newberry got a massive performance out of Malana Kennard, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits Kennard has posted since back in February. Gracie Mattson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Newberry always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .613. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Interlachen only posted an OBP of .381.
Meanwhile, Keystone Heights was able to grind out a solid victory over P.K. Yonge on Tuesday, taking the game 7-4.
Audry Cisco spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks.
At the plate, Kadence Massey was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Amberlea Wagner, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Newberry's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Keystone Heights, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-15.
Keystone Heights' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Newberry has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. It's a different story for Keystone Heights, though, as they've only averaged .285. Will they be able to contain Newberry's hitters?
Newberry came out on top in a nail-biter against Keystone Heights in their previous matchup back in February, sneaking past 8-6. 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.
