The Adams Central Patriots will face off against the Norfolk Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Adams Central has six straight wins, Norfolk has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Adams Central gave up the first runs on Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They put the hurt on Holdrege with a sharp 11-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won seven matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Hunter Nepple
| 04/10/25 vs Holdrege | 10 |
| 05/02/24 vs Thurston-Cuming County | 9 |
| 03/27/25 @ St. Paul/Palmer | 8 |
| 04/13/24 @ Crete | 8 |
| 04/03/25 @ York | 6 |
Hunter Nepple made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaleb Wahlmeier, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs he has posted over his last nine contests. Another player making a difference was Nick Mousel, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Adams Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Holdrege only posted an OBP of .250.
Meanwhile, Norfolk fell victim to Grand Island and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 9-0 to the Islanders.
Norfolk also got a good showing from Adrian O'Brien, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. O'Brien is becoming a predictor of the Panthers' success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 1-7 when he doesn't).
Norfolk's loss dropped their record down to 3-8. As for Adams Central, their win bumped their record up to 10-3.
Norfolk's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Adams Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. It's a different story for Norfolk, though, as they've only averaged .231. Will they be able to contain Adams Central's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
