Baseball Game Preview: Pinckneyville Panthers vs. Nashville Hornets

Pinckneyville hasn't had much luck against Nashville recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will take on the Hornets at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Pinckneyville was handed a heart-breaking two-run loss in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Elverado on Wednesday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 19-3 margin over the Falcons. The Panthers not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 12, 2024 (when they won 17-1).

Abel Clark and Dylan Keller made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Clark pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Keller tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Pinckneyville is undefeated when he allows at most two walks, but 6-9 otherwise. At bat, Clark went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, while Keller went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double. That's the most hits Keller has posted since back in March.

Brayden Cleland

Runs

04/23/25 @ Elverado	2
03/26/25 vs Hamilton County	2
03/21/25 @ Wesclin	2
04/21/25 @ DuQuoin	1
04/15/25 @ Benton	1
+ 5 more games

In other batting news, Brayden Cleland was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Pinckneyville's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-9 when he doesn't). Henry Ruppert was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Nashville put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Sparta 11-2. 11 seems to be a good number for the Hornets as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.

The win snapped Pinckneyville's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 9-9 record. As for Nashville, their victory was their 19th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-0.

Pinckneyville might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Nashville in their previous matchup last Monday. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.