The Sumter County Panthers will square off against the Jordan Red Jackets at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Sumter County has given up an average of 19.9 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Sumter County turned things around against Carver on Tuesday. They walked away with a 37-34 win over the Tigers. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Ethan Perry
| 03/04/25 @ Carver | 4 |
| 02/28/25 vs Spencer | 3 |
| 02/15/24 @ Kendrick | 3 |
| 02/14/25 @ Monroe | 1 |
| 04/09/24 @ Berrien | 1 |
Ethan Perry made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in six of his seven plate appearances. He also put up an RBI, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Nolan Minter was a standout: he scored three runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in six of his seven plate appearances. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases. Travius Richardson was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while getting on base in six of his seven plate appearances.
Sumter County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .746. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in five consecutive contests.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Jordan and Hardaway, and Jordan kept the tradition alive. Jordan fell just short of Hardaway by a score of 4-3 on Tuesday. The Red Jackets have struggled against the Hawks recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meetings.
Bradley Smith was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Smith wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jadon Riedel, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Sumter County's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-6. As for Jordan, their defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 6-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sumter County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Jordan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
