The Tug Valley Panthers will face off against the St. Joseph Central Irish at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing isn't great for Tug Valley: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while St. Joseph Central has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Tug Valley and WestSide meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Saturday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over the Renegades. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Panthers as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Chandler Copley was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 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 walks in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Gavin Fitzpatrick
| 05/03/25 @ WestSide | 4 |
| 04/26/25 @ Teays Valley Christian | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Van | 3 |
| 05/02/25 vs Sherman | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Tolsia | 2 |
In other batting news, Gavin Fitzpatrick was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Dawson Richardson, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Tug Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as WestSide only posted an OBP of .300.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph Central never let their opponents score on Saturday. Everything went their way against Tolsia as they made off with a 12-0 win. Considering the Irish have won 11 matches by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Cam Kellar, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Wyatt Pence, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
St. Joseph Central is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for Tug Valley, their win bumped their record up to 10-13.
Tug Valley suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to St. Joseph Central in their previous matchup back in April. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
