Baseball Game Preview: Walnut Wildcats vs. Pine Grove Panthers

Walnut is 1-9 against Pine Grove since March of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Wildcats will take on the Panthers at 5:30 p.m. Walnut has given up an average of 11.1 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

It was a proper cat-fight when Walnut faced off against Hamilton on Thursday. The Wildcats lost 19-0 to the Lions.

Meanwhile, Pine Grove had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They were the clear victors by an 11-3 margin over the Mustangs. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won eight contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Ty Clemmer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on five hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Riggs Childs was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ayden Jones, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four runs and two stolen bases.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Pine Grove kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.

Pine Grove's record is now 11-9. As for Walnut, their loss dropped their record down to 2-12.

Walnut might still be hurting after the 18-3 defeat they got from Pine Grove in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can the Wildcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.