Parma hasn't had much luck against Melba recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Panthers will welcome the Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Parma is headed into Wednesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Monday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost an 11-10 heartbreaker at the hands of New Plymouth. That's two games in a row now that the Panthers have lost by just one run.
Samuel Hultman was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Hunter Mitchell, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Melba). Everything went their way against Vision on Monday as they made off with a 21-5 win. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with Vision: they've now won five in a row.
The team relied heavily on Cooper Brooks, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. Melba is undefeated when Brooks posts two or more runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Colter Bodily was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Melba always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .696. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Melba's win bumped their record up to 7-4. As for Parma, their loss dropped their record down to 4-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Parma has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Melba struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Parma beat Melba 8-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mustangs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
