The Knightstown Panthers will challenge the North Decatur Chargers at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Knightstown is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Morristown. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Yellow Jackets: they've now won four in a row.
Carter Gossett
| 05/31/25 vs Morristown | 9 |
| 04/15/25 vs Winchester Community | 7 |
| 04/29/25 vs Centerville | 6 |
| 05/17/25 vs Tri | 5 |
| 05/08/25 vs Hagerstown | 5 |
Carter Gossett looked comfortable as he struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Kelton Weaver, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted over his last ten matches. Another player making a difference was Jackson Daves, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, North Decatur waltzed into their contest on Saturday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They never let the Titans get on the board and left with a 13-0 victory.
Kamdenn McKinney made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. He has become a key player for North Decatur: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Henry Kinker was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Tyler Dean was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
North Decatur was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .450. They are a perfect 12-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
North Decatur's win bumped their record up to 16-9. As for Knightstown, their victory bumped their record up to 22-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Knightstown has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like North Decatur struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Knightstown took their win against North Decatur in their previous matchup back in May by a conclusive 17-7 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
