The Cobden Appleknockers will square off against the Pinckneyville Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Cobden headed into their last matchup having not scored more than two runs for four straight, but Meridian let them put that streak behind them. Cobden was the clear victor by an 18-1 margin over Meridian on Wednesday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Appleknockers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Mason Lyerla
| 03/26/25 @ Meridian | 8 |
| 03/21/25 vs Galatia/Thompsonville | 6 |
| 03/17/25 @ Webber | 5 |
| 04/05/24 @ Meridian | 5 |
| 04/04/24 @ Egyptian | 5 |
Mason Lyerla made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Those hits were his first of the season.
In other batting news, Cobden got a massive performance out of Thomas Coleman, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Those runs marked the first that Coleman scored this season. Matthew Howell was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
Cobden always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .611. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pinckneyville, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Hamilton County a 10-0 shutout on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won four contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Michael Brand was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Abel Clark, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.
Cobden's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Pinckneyville, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Cobden might still be hurting after the 12-0 defeat they got from Pinckneyville in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Cobden have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
