The Pinckneyville Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Harrisburg Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Pinckneyville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Pinckneyville took a ten-run loss the last time they faced off against Murphysboro, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Red Devils 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Panthers have posted since April 16, 2024.
Kolton Smith
| 05/07/25 vs Murphysboro | 3 |
| 04/11/25 @ Anna-Jonesboro | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ Cobden | 3 |
| 05/06/25 @ Carterville | 2 |
| 04/24/25 @ Nashville | 2 |
| + 11 more games |
Pinckneyville's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kolton Smith, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Smith has become a key player for the Panthers: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three hits, but 9-12 otherwise.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Wednesday Harrisburg sidestepped Mt. Carmel for a 4-2 win. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Golden Aces recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Brody Nyberg looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
Harrisburg hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive games.
Harrisburg's record is now 17-10. As for Pinckneyville, the win got them back to even at 12-12.
Pinckneyville suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Harrisburg in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
