A feisty cat fight will be fought as Maxwell Panthers face off against Live Oak Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Live Oak will be up against a hot Maxwell team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. Maxwell never let Plumas Charter get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory on Saturday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won three contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Yahir Alcaraz
| 03/08/25 vs Plumas Charter | 3 |
| 03/06/25 vs Live Oak | 1 |
| 03/26/24 @ Los Molinos | 1 |
| 02/28/24 vs Chester | 1 |
| 02/27/24 @ Esparto | 1 |
Yahir Alcaraz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in doubles.
Alcaraz wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Landon Barrett, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI. That's the most hits Barrett has posted since back in February of 2024.
Maxwell was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .455. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Live Oak). They blew past Williams 23-0 on Tuesday. While the Lions didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Like Maxwell, Live Oak also got a great game from a two-way player: T.J. Ehrke. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ehrke has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Farron Gomez, who went 3-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and one triple. Kaden Lee was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Live Oak has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 14.2 runs. Maxwell pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maxwell has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. However, it's not like Live Oak struggles in that department as they've averaged .535. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maxwell was able to grind out a solid victory over Live Oak in their previous meeting on Thursday, winning 4-1. Does Maxwell have another victory up their sleeve, or will Live Oak turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
