The Athens Wildcats will challenge the Mansfield Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Athens took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Milton, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Black Panthers 5-3. The victory was nothing new for the Wildcats as they're now sitting on three straight.
Athens' win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Dylan Saxon, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Mansfield posted their closest victory since May 3, 2024 on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 15-14 win over Troy.
Mansfield let Andy Hermansen and Liam Shaut run wild. Hermansen got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one double, while Shaut went 3-for-5 with one home run and three RBI. Those three RBI gave Shaut a new career-high. Alex Davis was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Mansfield lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Athens pushed their record up to 12-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Mansfield, their victory bumped their record up to 10-3.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Athens hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Mansfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .359. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Athens was able to grind out a solid win over Mansfield in their previous meeting back in March, winning 9-6. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
