The Palmer Panthers will face off against the Ludlow Lions at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Palmer took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Monson, sneaking past 4-2. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Matt Santos was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. Santos was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Brendan Hess and Sebastian Mayberry did most of the damage at the plate: Hess scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Mayberry went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI. That's the most hits Mayberry has posted since back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Ludlow earned a 7-2 victory over Amherst-Pelham Regional on Wednesday.
Like Palmer, Ludlow also got a great game from a two-way player: C. Kochanek. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Kochanek was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Ludlow got a big performance out of E. Steigmeyer, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was A. Spurlock, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
The win got Ludlow back to even at 1-1. As for Palmer, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Palmer took their win against Ludlow when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-1 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
