The New Lexington Panthers will challenge the Trimble Tomcats at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. New Lexington is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when New Lexington and Morgan meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. The Panthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 victory over the Raiders.
Mia Metzger spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Caroline Dupler and Lexi Buckman did most of the damage at the plate: Dupler went 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double, while Buckman went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Jorja Burkhart was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: New Lexington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Thursday as neither Trimble nor Southern made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Tomcats fell just short of the Tornadoes by a score of 5-4. It was the first time this season that the Tomcats let down their fans at home.
Trimble also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Jessa Davis gave up just two earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. Davis has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Trimble saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Olivia Kasler, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Trimble's loss dropped their record down to 6-5. As for New Lexington, their win bumped their record up to 5-11.
New Lexington beat Trimble 10-6 in their previous matchup back in April of 2021. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Tomcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
