The Hillcrest Panthers are taking a road trip to square off against the Keller Central Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hillcrest will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each matchup than the last.
On Saturday, Hillcrest got the win against Newman Smith by a conclusive 9-1. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by seven runs or more this season.
Jean Pierre Paternina
| 04/04/26 @ Newman Smith | 4 |
| 03/28/26 @ Emerson | 2 |
| 03/20/26 @ Adamson | 1 |
| 03/13/26 vs White | 3 |
| 02/20/26 vs Bowie | 4 |
Jean Pierre Paternina made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Elias Garcia, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Ethan Pacheco was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 11 runs the game before, Keller Central was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They fell just short of Northwest by a score of 2-1.
Lucas Johnston spent all 7.2 innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Keller Central saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Noah McGuire, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases. Those stolen bases were McGuire's first of the season.
Keller Central's defeat was their third straight at home, which dropped their record down to 5-11. As for Hillcrest, their record is now 20-2.
Keller Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hillcrest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. It's a different story for Keller Central, though, as they've only averaged .341. Will they be able to contain Hillcrest's hitters?
Hillcrest came out on top in a nail-biter against Keller Central when the teams last played back in April of 2025, sneaking past 2-0. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Chargers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
