Knightstown has won five straight games at home, while Connersville has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Panthers will welcome the Spartans at 5:30 p.m. Knightstown is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
It was a proper cat-fight when Knightstown duked it out with South Decatur on Wednesday. The Panthers walked away with a 5-1 win over the Cougars. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won nine in a row.
Knightstown let Paysen Hauk and Dylan Fausnaugh run wild. Hauk went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double, while Fausnaugh went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Knightstown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, while Connersville put up plenty of runs last Wednesday, the same can't be said for Hauser. The Spartans blew past the Jets 15-0. Considering the Spartans have won six contests by more than ten runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Avery Dungan and Taylynn Selby made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Dungan pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Selby pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Dungan went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI, while Selby went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run. Those two runs gave Dungan a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bre Brock, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Carmen Ruble, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Connersville's win bumped their record up to 11-6. As for Knightstown, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Knightstown hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .375. However, it's not like Connersville struggles in that department as they've averaged .420. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Knightstown might still be hurting after the 11-2 loss they got from Connersville 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.
