Maxwell is preparing for their first league matchup of the season on Wednesday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as Maxwell Panthers take on Portola Tigers at 2:00 p.m. Their pitching crew has only allowed 1.9 runs per game this season, so Portola's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Maxwell fell victim to Etna and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lions. The Panthers haven't had much luck with the Lions recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Massey Baker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Meanwhile, Portola beat Virginia City 13-8 on Friday. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Muckers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Joe Leal looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and six unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Portola's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Emery Powell, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. Those four runs gave Powell a new career-high. Another was Sam Powell, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Portola now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Maxwell, their loss dropped their record down to 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Maxwell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Portola struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Maxwell took their win against Portola in their previous meeting back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 12-4. Will Maxwell repeat their success, or does Portola has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
