The Marceline Tigers will venture away from home to face off against the Palmyra Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Marceline's victory against Northwestern wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tigers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over the Eagles on Monday.
Cody Rodgers
| 05/05/25 vs Northwestern | 7 |
| 04/28/25 @ Brookfield | 6 |
| 04/24/25 @ Trenton | 2 |
| 04/14/25 vs Maysville | 3 |
| 04/12/25 @ Wheatland | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Cody Rodgers made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up four earned (and four unearned) runs off ten hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Marceline's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is undefeated (and 6-13 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Payton Gladbach, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs. Dax Thomas was another key player, earning one RBI, three runs, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Palmyra). They never let South Shelby get on the board and left with a 22-0 victory on Thursday. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by ten runs or more this season.
Like Marceline, Palmyra also got a great game from a two-way player: Rylan Compton. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Compton has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Bryant Horstmeier was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Colby Jones also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Palmyra always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .684. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Palmyra has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Marceline, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-13.
Marceline suffered a grim 12-2 defeat to Palmyra in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
