The Hilliard Darby Panthers will challenge the Olentangy Braves at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Olentangy will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Hilliard Darby extended their winning streak to five on Wednesday. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 16-7 margin over Dublin Jerome. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Gabby Jordan looked comfortable as she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Carli Ludban was incredible, going 2-for-4 with six RBI, one triple, and one double. Lorelai Gum was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Hilliard Darby kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dublin Jerome only managed eight hits.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Olentangy). They blew past Marysville 27-16 on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Braves with their most commanding win of the season.
Hilliard Darby pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Olentangy, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season.
Hilliard Darby couldn't quite get it done against Olentangy in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 as they fell 11-8. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
