The Plant Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Parrish Community Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Plant is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Plant is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over Riverview. The victory was familiar territory for the Panthers, who have now won three matchups in a row.
Gigi Cozzens
| 05/01/25 vs Riverview | 8 |
| 04/23/25 vs Strawberry Crest | 8 |
| 04/21/25 @ Bloomingdale | 8 |
Gigi Cozzens spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on three hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Alexis Medina, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Layne Kijanski also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Plant hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Parrish Community had just enough and edged out Lakewood Ranch 2-1 on Thursday. The win continues a trend for the Bulls in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won six in a row.
Parrish Community also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Emmaline Van Beck gave up only one earned run on six hits.
On the hitting side, Parrish Community saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jersie Rohde, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one double.
Plant's record now sits at 14-9. As for Parrish Community, their record is now 23-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Plant hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Parrish Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Plant couldn't quite finish off Parrish Community when the teams last played back in March of 2023 and fell 5-3. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
