The North Johnston Panthers will square off against the Cleveland Rams at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
North Johnston barely beat Smithfield-Selma the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Spartans an 11-0 shutout on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Panthers needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Reid Willoughby made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Willoughby was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
Ty Hinton
| 04/06/26 vs Smithfield-Selma | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Eastern Wayne | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Beddingfield | 2 |
| 03/30/26 @ Eastern Wayne | 1 |
| 03/19/26 vs North Pitt | 1 |
In other batting news, Ty Hinton was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and five RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Levi Lamonaco was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases and two runs.
North Johnston hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Smithfield-Selma struck out seven times.
Meanwhile, Cleveland got the win against American Leadership Academy-Johnston on Monday by a conclusive 12-4. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
Like North Johnston, Cleveland also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Wendel. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Wendel has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Caleb Lynn, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. He has become a key player for Cleveland: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-5 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Collin Blackmon, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI and one triple.
Cleveland has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for North Johnston, their record now sits at 9-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Johnston has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Cleveland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Johnston might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Cleveland in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
