The Von Steuben Panthers will take on Ogden International at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Von Steuben is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Von Steuben fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Lane Tech on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Champions by a score of 7-6. The Panthers haven't had much luck with the Champions recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Christian Kobayashi
| 03/21/25 @ Niles North | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ Lane Tech | 2 |
| 03/22/25 @ Maine East | 2 |
| 03/17/25 vs Holy Trinity | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Lane Tech | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
Christian Kobayashi made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Von Steuben's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 2-3-2 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Kayin Timble, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Ogden International waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victors by a 17-5 margin over the Vikings. Ogden International might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by seven runs or more this season.
Ogden International let Aj Ramirez and Julian Castillo run wild. Ramirez scored three runs while going 4-for-4, while Castillo went 2-for-5 with one home run and six RBI. Ramirez also hit two doubles, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Julio Pagan, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Ogden International kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Ogden International pushed their record up to 7-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Von Steuben, their loss dropped their record down to 5-4-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Von Steuben has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ogden International struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
