The North Central Panthers will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Living Water Homeschool Marlins at 5:30 p.m. Both teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
On Tuesday, North Central made easy work of Covenant Christian and carried off a 12-2 win.
Kaelee Jacobs made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. Jacobs was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with a home run.
In other batting news, North Central got a massive performance out of Taylor Nickols, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Kennady Johnson, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Living Water Homeschool gave their fans yet another huge victory on Thursday. They put the hurt on Columbus North with a sharp 9-1 win. The victory was familiar territory for Living Water Homeschool who now have four in a row.
Like North Central, Living Water Homeschool also got a great game from a two-way player: Maddie Dafforn. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Dafforn has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances. Dafforn was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with a double and an RBI.
Dafforn wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Aubree Smith, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Maddie Pardue was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
North Central's win bumped their record up to 6-7. As for Living Water Homeschool, they pushed their record up to 8-3 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. North Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Living Water Homeschool struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Central might still be hurting after the 13-6 defeat they got from Living Water Homeschool in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can North Central avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
