The Normangee Panthers are on the road again on Friday to play the Grapeland Sandies at 6:30 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Normangee was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. Everything went their way against Latexo as Normangee made off with a 13-2 win.
Dallas Jones was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. Jones has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Jones was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Normangee let Farrell Butler and Hunter Garner loose on the outfield. Butler got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and a triple, while Garner scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Butler has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lincoln McAllister, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Grapeland beat Centerville 8-3 on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Grapeland.
Like Normangee, Grapeland also got a great game from a two-way player: Slade Harris. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. Harris was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Harris wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Eli Deleon, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Gabe Deleon was another key contributor, scoring a run while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
The victory got Normangee back to even at 8-8-1. As for Grapeland, their win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3.
Normangee came up short against Grapeland in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, falling 5-2. Can Normangee avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
