Potomac Falls hasn't had much luck against Loudoun County recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Panthers will head out to take on the Captains at 6:30 p.m. Potomac Falls is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
On Thursday, Potomac Falls didn't have quite enough to beat Lightridge and fell 4-3.
Harper Bell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Lyla Daugherty-Moysey made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Loudoun County came tearing into Thursday's contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Knights a 16-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Captains, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Madison Karschner made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Karschner was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Olivia Miller was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sharon Manni, who went 3-for-5 with four runs and one RBI.
Loudoun County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .622. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as John Champe only posted an OBP of .211.
Loudoun County's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Potomac Falls, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Potomac Falls hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Loudoun County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Potomac Falls might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from Loudoun County when the teams last played back in March of 2023. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
