The Rye Neck Panthers will square off against the Tuckahoe Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Wednesday, Rye Neck needed a bit of extra time to put away The Leffell School. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Lions. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Lions: they've now won three in a row.
Jack Kennel
| 04/16/26 vs Valhalla | 2 |
| 04/22/26 vs The Leffell School | 1 |
| 04/20/26 @ The Leffell School | 1 |
Jack Kennel looked comfortable as he pitched 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Rye Neck's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 3-4 when he doesn't).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Micah Deckinger, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Davey Ryan, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Tuckahoe, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hastings on Wednesday, sneaking past 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted since April 7th.
Connor Brice was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and two RBI.
In other batting news, Marco Marcoccia was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
The win got Rye Neck back to even at 5-5. As for Tuckahoe, their victory bumped their record up to 3-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Rye Neck has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tuckahoe struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Rye Neck might still be hurting after the 14-8 loss they got from Tuckahoe when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
