The Panther Valley Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the Tamaqua Blue Raiders at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Panther Valley's win against Executive Education Academy Charter School wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Raptors 7-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Gavin Yuricheck
| 04/14/25 @ Executive Education Academy Charter School | 4 |
| 04/09/25 vs Pine Grove | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs Shenandoah Valley | 3 |
Gavin Yuricheck was excellent, going 2-for-4 with four RBI and one double. He has become a key player for Panther Valley: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 0-4 otherwise. Cameron Caffery was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Tamaqua). They put the hurt on Pleasant Valley with a sharp 12-2 win on Monday. That's two games straight that the Blue Raiders have won by exactly ten runs.
The team relied heavily on Mason Ligenza, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Jake Yenser also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Tamaqua always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pleasant Valley only posted an OBP of .348.
Tamaqua pushed their record up to 10-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Panther Valley, their record is now 3-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Panther Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tamaqua struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Panther Valley skirted past Tamaqua 2-1 when the teams last played back in May 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.
