The Western Panthers will face off against the Benton Central Bison at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Western's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Benton Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
It was a proper cat-fight when Western faced off against Lebanon on Thursday. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Tigers a 5-0 shutout. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
The result came thanks to Lucy George's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Jocelyn Jeffers was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one home run. That's the most hits she has posted over her last ten contests. Another player making a difference was Brynley Erb, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Benton Central won against Lafayette Central Catholic on Monday with 12 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Bison beat Lafayette Jefferson by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 12-2. The Bison might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by six runs or more this season.
Sydney Groves made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Groves was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Benton Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lafayette Jefferson only posted a batting average of .250.
Western's record is now 10-7. As for Benton Central, their record now sits at 10-3.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Western hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. However, it's not like Benton Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .368. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Western beat Benton Central 5-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2022. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Bison have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
