The Excel Panthers are taking a road trip to take on the Andalusia Bulldogs at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Excel will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
It was a proper cat-fight when Excel took on Hillcrest on Friday. Excel was the clear victor by a 17-2 margin over Hillcrest.
Hampton Pharr looked comfortable as he struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Trent Williams
| 03/21/25 vs Hillcrest | 2 |
| 03/20/25 @ Hillcrest | 2 |
| 03/19/25 @ Leroy | 2 |
| 03/17/25 vs Sweet Water | 2 |
At the plate, Excel got a massive performance out of Trent Williams, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Williams has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last four times he's played. Brady Lawrence was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.
Excel hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in eight consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Andalusia got themselves on the board against Greenville on Thursday, but Greenville never followed suit. They blew past the Tigers 14-0. The victory continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won eight in a row.
Riley Cravey was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Andalusia is 3-0-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-6 otherwise. Cravey was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Asher Bentley, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Andalusia's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-6-1 when he doesn't). Will Dalton also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Excel pushed their record up to 10-11 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Andalusia, they now have a winning record of 7-6-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Excel has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .494. However, it's not like Andalusia struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Excel suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Andalusia in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can Excel avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
