The Western Panthers will head out to square off against the Lafayette Jefferson Bronchos at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Western comes in on five and Lafayette Jefferson on three.
It was a proper cat-fight when Western took on Peru on Saturday. The Panthers blew past the Tigers 11-5. Considering the Panthers have won ten matches by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Gavin White and Jaiden McNulty dominated on the mound. White pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit, while McNulty pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gavin Denton, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Rodman, who went 3-for-4 with three runs.
Western always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Peru only posted an OBP of .379.
Meanwhile, Lafayette Jefferson was not the first on the board on Saturday, but they got there more often. They walked away with a 6-2 victory over Anderson. That's two games straight that the Bronchos have won by exactly four runs.
Talan Meyers looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. That's the most strikeouts he has posted over his last four contests.
On the hitting side, Lafayette Jefferson got a big performance out of Peyton Parker, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles and one run. That's the most hits Parker has posted since back in April. Austin Franklin was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI.
Western's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Lafayette Jefferson, their record now sits at 14-9.
Lafayette Jefferson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. It's a different story for Lafayette Jefferson, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Western's hitters?
Everything went Western's way against Lafayette Jefferson when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Western made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
