vs
| 03/13/26 - Home | 9-0 W |
| 04/23/25 - Home | 2-0 W |
| 04/04/25 - Away | 8-0 W |
| 04/16/24 - Home | 10-1 W |
| 02/23/24 - Away | 8-0 W |
| + 5 more games |
Pace is a perfect 10-0 against Milton since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Patriots will head out to square off against the Panthers at 6:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Pace 2.3, Milton 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Pace is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another highly-ranked state team: South Warren, who was ranked first in their home state at the time (Pace was ranked fourth). The Patriots took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Spartans on Tuesday. That makes it the first time this season the Patriots have let down their home crowd.
Pace got a good showing from Zoe Freeman, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
At the plate, Gracie Ueberroth was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Milton came tearing into Thursday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 6-3. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly three runs.
Sylvia McKie looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emma Messer, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Ashlyn Sutton was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Milton hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in six consecutive matchups.
Pace suffered their first home defeat, dropping their record down to 16-3. As for Milton, their record now sits at 14-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pace has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Milton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pace got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in March against Milton by a conclusive 9-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
