A feisty cat fight will be fought as Newberry Panthers challenge Buchholz Bobcats at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Newberry comes in on eight and Buchholz on five.
Newberry proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by 15) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over P.K. Yonge.
Sarah Burns tossed a big game, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chloe Jones, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one double. Aubrey Mattson also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Newberry hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in six consecutive games.
While Buchholz didn't have the best season last year (they finished 11-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victor by a 6-0 margin over Lake Weir on Tuesday. The Bobcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by six runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Jurnee Reed's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up seven Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February of 2024.
At the plate, Jordyn Cooper was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 3-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Leila Ricks, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Buchholz's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Newberry, their record is now 8-0.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Newberry hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .394. However, it's not like Buchholz struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newberry beat Buchholz 6-3 when the teams last played back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for Newberry since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
