After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Eunice, Leesville was happy to have turned things around on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Buckeye Panthers 8-6. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 8-1 back in March.
Hunter Garton
| 04/02/26 @ Buckeye | 3 |
| 03/27/26 @ Anacoco | 2 |
| 03/19/26 vs DeRidder | 2 |
| 02/28/26 vs Oakdale | 1 |
| 02/26/26 @ DeQuincy | 0 |
| 02/21/26 @ St. Mary | 4 |
Hunter Garton made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one triple and two RBI. That triple was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Leesville got a massive performance out of Creek Smith, who went 4-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Smith is becoming a predictor of the Wampus Cats' success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 2-1 (and 6-13 when he doesn't). Brailen Willis was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Leesville's record now sits at 8-14. As for Buckeye, with the loss, they broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 16-11.
Looking ahead, Leesville will challenge LaGrange at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Gators have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 15.71 runs per game on average), something the Wampus Cats will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Buckeye, they will take on Jena at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
