The Derby Panthers are packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will challenge the Valley Center Hornets on Tuesday. Derby will be strutting in after a victory while Valley Center will be coming in after a loss.
Derby lost a heartbreaker the last time they played South, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Friday's game. The Panthers put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 10-3 win on Friday. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Noah Devault looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, Jace Hambleton was incredible, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. Cooper Williams also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Meanwhile, Valley Center came up short against Hutchinson on Friday and fell 12-8.
Derby's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-9. As for Valley Center, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-6.
Everything went Derby's way against Valley Center in their previous meeting back in March of 2016, as Derby made off with a 10-3 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
