The Liberty Patriots will challenge the Palo Verde Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The last six games Liberty has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Liberty is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nevada's top teams: Shadow Ridge, who was ranked 19th at the time (Liberty was ranked fourth). The Patriots won by a run and slipped past the Mustangs 9-8. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won four in a row.
Jaydrien Klein-Baker was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Chris Onoszko, who scored two runs and stole a base.
Meanwhile, Palo Verde won against Faith Lutheran on Thursday with nine runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Panthers put the hurt on Birmingham with a sharp 9-3 win. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Hayden Lucibello looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024.
On the hitting side, Dane Keener and Luke Herrera did most of the damage at the plate: Keener went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Herrera scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Brady Dallimore was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Palo Verde has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Liberty, their win bumped their record up to 16-9.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Liberty hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Palo Verde struggles in that department as they've averaged .371. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Liberty beat Palo Verde 13-8 when the teams last played back in March. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
