The Pioneer Panthers will challenge the North Newton Spartans at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Pioneer sitting on seven straight victories and North Newton on five.
Pioneer is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over DeMotte Christian. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 11 matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Lois Layer made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs.
In other batting news, Addison Kennell and Ava Beasy did most of the damage at the plate: Kennell went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Beasy went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most hits Beasy has posted over her last 14 contests. Another player making a difference was Madyson Shaffer, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Pioneer was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .483. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as DeMotte Christian only posted a batting average of .059.
Meanwhile, North Newton's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Monday. They never let North White get on the board and left with a 4-0 win.
The result came thanks to Sydney Rainford's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 16 Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Caylee Oxley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI.
Pioneer's victory bumped their record up to 21-10. As for North Newton, their win bumped their record up to 18-3-1.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Pioneer has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.5 hits per game. However, it's not like North Newton struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.7 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
