The Ridgeview Panthers will head out to take on the Keystone Heights Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ridgeview took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They never let Eagle's View get on the board and left with a 5-0 win.
Tripp Hoffine looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Ridgeview's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Gabe Torres, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4. Another was Jose Morales, who scored two runs and stole a base.
Meanwhile, Keystone Heights had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They had just enough and edged out the Broncos 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Indians have posted since March 7, 2024.
Andrew Wilson and Austin Smith did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Smith went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. Destin Harnage was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Keystone Heights' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-2. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing nine hits in those games compared to only five in the others. As for Ridgeview, the win was their first at home , bumping their record up to 2-4.
Ridgeview's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. Ridgeview has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Keystone Heights, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Ridgeview continue to outrun the ball?
Ridgeview came up short against Keystone Heights in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 8-5. Can Ridgeview avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
