The Eastbrook Panthers will venture away from home to take on the South Adams Starfires at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Eastbrook is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Eastbrook let Hamilton Heights stack four runs on them in the sixth inning on Saturday but luckily Eastbrook prevailed anyway. The Panthers walked away with an 8-5 win over the Huskies. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Jacob McDermit and Kyler Hackman were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, McDermit pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Meanwhile, Hackman pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, McDermit got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run, while Hackman went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Austin Mikel was incredible, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryder Gipson, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Eastbrook kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 7-2 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, South Adams came up short against Monroe Central on Monday and fell 18-13.
Jax Wanner made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of South Adams' success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 2-1 (and 3-16 when he doesn't). Kayden Prince also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Eastbrook's record now sits at 14-10. As for South Adams, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-17.
South Adams' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Eastbrook hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. It's a different story for South Adams, though, as they've only averaged .228. Will they be able to contain Eastbrook's hitters?
Eastbrook took their victory against South Adams in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 14-6 score. 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.
