Smethport came into Friday's match having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Northern Potter Panthers a 10-0 shutout on Friday. Smethport's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Brentton McDowell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. McDowell has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. McDowell was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Owen Rounsville was a standout: he scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Cole Szuba, who went 1-for-3 with four RBI and a double.
Smethport's win bumped their record up to 2-6. As for Northern Potter, their defeat was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-10.
Smethport will challenge Kane at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Northern Potter, they will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Cowanesque Valley at 11:00 a.m. Cowanesque Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
