Gardner-South Wilmington is 0-3 against Wilmington since April of 2017 but things could change on Friday. The Panthers will face off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Gardner-South Wilmington is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
Gardner-South Wilmington's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Momence as they made off with a 7-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won five games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Maddie Simms
| 04/10/25 vs Momence | 0 |
| 04/09/25 @ Woodland | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Momence | 1 |
| 03/29/25 vs Prairie Central | 1 |
| 03/29/25 vs Fulton | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Forreston | 2 |
Maddie Simms was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Bree Stein was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Wilmington took on Manteno on Thursday. The Wildcats had just enough and edged out the Panthers 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wildcats have posted since May 6, 2024.
Taryn Gilbert spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Wilmington saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ally Allgood, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Keeley Walsh was another, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Wilmington pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 11.2 runs. As for Gardner-South Wilmington, their record now sits at 7-3.
Wilmington's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Gardner-South Wilmington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Wilmington, though, as they've been averaging only 3 strikeouts. Will Gardner-South Wilmington keep running through batters, or will the Wildcats buck the trend?
Gardner-South Wilmington might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Wilmington when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
