The Mansfield Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Athens Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mansfield is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.
Mansfield was handed a nine-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Troy 15-14. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Tigers have posted since May 3, 2024.
Liam Shaut
| 05/01/25 vs Troy | 3 |
| 04/18/25 @ Sayre | 2 |
| 03/31/25 vs Athens | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Towanda | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Wyalusing Valley | 2 |
Andy Hermansen and Liam Shaut did most of the damage at the plate: Hermansen got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one double, while Shaut went 3-for-5 with one home run and three RBI. Those three hits gave Shaut a new career-high. Alex Davis was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Mansfield lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Athens waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over the Black Panthers.
Athens' win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Dylan Saxon, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Athens' victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Mansfield, their record now sits at 10-3.
Both Mansfield and Athens just can't seem to miss. The Tigers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Athens struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mansfield came up short against Athens in their previous matchup back in March, falling 9-6. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
