The Page County Panthers will take on the Turner Ashby Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Page County took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They came out on top against Stuarts Draft by a score of 13-8. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Panthers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
John Leake made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Leake was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caden Combs, who scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Aidan Comer was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Turner Ashby won against Fort Defiance on Thursday with seven runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. Turner Ashby won by a run and slipped past Wilson Memorial 7-6. The win was just business as usual for the Knights, who after three games remain undefeated this season.
Sammy Moats tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits.
On the hitting side, Mason Mantz was excellent, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Will Knicely, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Turner Ashby's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Page County, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Page County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Turner Ashby struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Page County suffered a grim 18-2 defeat to Turner Ashby in their previous matchup last Monday. Will Page County have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
