The Washington Panthers will head out on the road to take on the Rochester Rockets at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Washington 3.3, Rochester 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Rochester will be up against a hot Washington team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. The Panthers skirted past Dunlap 3-1.
Gavin Lawrence made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run.
Eli Roedell
| 05/07/25 @ Dunlap | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs Pekin | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Pekin | 2 |
| 03/29/25 vs Normal University | 2 |
| 05/05/25 vs Dunlap | 1 |
Lawrence wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Eli Roedell, who went 3-for-4 with one double. Those three hits gave Roedell a new career-high.
Washington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dunlap only managed three hits.
Meanwhile, Rochester made easy work of MacArthur on Tuesday and carried off an 18-3 victory. The Rockets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by eight runs or more this season.
Like Washington, Rochester also got a great game from a two-way player: Eli Carlson. Throwing, Carlson pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Breck Calvert tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Carlson went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Calvert got on base in both of his plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Rochester let Jorey Myren and Ajay Runkel run wild. Myren went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Runkel went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Reece Gade, who got on base in both of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Rochester and bumps their season record up to 17-7. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Washington, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-7.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Washington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Rochester struggles in that department as they've averaged .445. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Washington skirted past Rochester 6-5 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
