The Riverside Panthers are taking a road trip to square off against the Jackson South Side Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Riverside earned a 6-1 victory over East Hickman County. That looming 6-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.
Cole Yarbro spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up nine Ks. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in March of 2024.
At the plate, Cody Brasher was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in May of 2024. Connor Newberry also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Jackson South Side and Jackson North Side faced off in a cross-town battle on Tuesday. Jackson South Side walked away with a 9-4 win over Jackson North Side. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Indians recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Wyatt Diffee was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off ten hits. Diffee was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Corbin Fesmire, who scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Trent Stewart, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Riverside's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-6. As for Jackson South Side, their record now sits at 9-2.
Everything went Riverside's way against Jackson South Side when the teams last played back in March of 2024, as Riverside made off with a 20-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Riverside since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
