The North Valleys Panthers will square off against the Wooster Colts at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Valleys is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
North Valleys is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Sparks a 20-0 shutout on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Caden Birch made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
Zach Clarke
| 04/19/25 vs Sparks | 2 |
| 04/19/25 vs Sparks | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Hug | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zach Clarke, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Alejandro Urbina, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
North Valleys kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 13-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Wooster unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Monday. They fell 7-4 to Truckee.
Cayden Corl was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
North Valleys' win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-5. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Wooster, their loss dropped their record down to 11-9-1.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North Valleys has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. However, it's not like Wooster struggles in that department as they've averaged .469. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Valleys took their win against Wooster when the teams last played on April 5th by a conclusive 14-8 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Colts have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
