Panthers
| 04/08/25 vs Pleasant Hope | 6 |
| 04/07/25 vs Fair Play | 14 |
| 03/31/25 @ Miller | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Greenwood | 12 |
| 03/27/25 vs Halfway | 4 |
| + 3 more games |
Early and Ash Grove are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2016, but likely not for long. The Panthers will welcome the Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Early is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Early proved they can win big on Monday (they won by 12) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Pleasant Hope 6-5. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Pirates recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Lucas Cutler was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That double marked the first that he hit this season.
Meanwhile, Ash Grove was able to grind out a solid win over Weaubleau on Monday, taking the game 7-4.
Ethan Johnson was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ty Messley, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kyler Reece, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Early pushed their record up to 5-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Ash Grove, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Early couldn't quite get it done against Ash Grove in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 7-4. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
