The Johnston Panthers will face off against the Lincoln Lions at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Johnston is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Johnston is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Cranston West, who was ranked fifth at the time (Johnston was ranked 18th). The Panthers fell 4-0 to the Falcons on Saturday. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Johnston saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bella Boudreau, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Meanwhile, Lincoln entered their tilt with Burrillville on Saturday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Broncos a 14-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won seven matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
London Rapko looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Lincoln got a massive performance out of Sydney Marchand, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Brooke Tillson, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Lincoln lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Lincoln's victory bumped their record up to 8-6. As for Johnston, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.
Lincoln's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Johnston has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lincoln, though, as they've been averaging only 2.9 strikeouts. Will Johnston keep running through batters, or will the Lions buck the trend?
Johnston came up short against Lincoln in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 5-2. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
