The Palmyra-Eagle Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the Living Word Lutheran Timberwolves at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Palmyra-Eagle will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Palmyra-Eagle is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Williams Bay with a sharp 21-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Panthers have won nine matchups by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Dillen Patrick made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Patrick was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one run. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, D Walsh and Alex Harbison did most of the damage at the plate: Walsh went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple, while Harbison went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI Harbison has posted since back in April. Dalton Anton was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and three RBI.
Palmyra-Eagle always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .674. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Living Word Lutheran, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against University School of Milwaukee on Thursday, sneaking past 6-5.
Like Palmyra-Eagle, Living Word Lutheran also got a great game from a two-way player: Easton Oliver. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Oliver has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Oliver wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Eli Raddemann, who went 2-for-3 with two runs. Another was Gavin LaPerriere, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Living Word Lutheran is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Palmyra-Eagle, their record now sits at 11-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Palmyra-Eagle has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Living Word Lutheran struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Palmyra-Eagle skirted past Living Word Lutheran 2-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. 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.
