The Manchester Panthers will take on the Tallmadge Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Manchester sitting on seven straight wins and Tallmadge on four.
Manchester is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Orrville on Monday as they made off with a 21-1 victory. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Rachel Baker and Cassidy Perry made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Baker pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Perry tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Baker has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. At the plate, Baker scored a run while going 2-for-3, while Perry scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. That's the most runs Perry has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Alli Hodgkinson and Lilly Konen did most of the damage at the plate: Hodgkinson got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Konen scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. What's more, Konen posted two hits, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Cayleigh Bowe, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Manchester always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .816. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Tallmadge made easy work of Barberton on Monday and carried off an 18-2 victory. With that win, the Blue Devils brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Katie Huth was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Marissa Charton, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Manchester pushed their record up to 9-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Tallmadge, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Manchester hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .359. However, it's not like Tallmadge struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manchester skirted past Tallmadge 6-5 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. 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.
