Wilmington is 4-0 against Gardner-South Wilmington since March of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Wilmington Wildcats will head out on the road to take on the Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Wilmington's pitching crew has only allowed two runs per game this season, so Gardner-South Wilmington's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Last Thursday, Wilmington was able to grind out a solid victory over Reed-Custer, taking the game 6-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for Wilmington.
Ryan Kettman made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Kettman was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Reid Juster, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Lucas Rink was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gardner-South Wilmington fell victim to Beecher and their airtight pitching crew last Thursday. They wound up on the wrong side of a tough 13-0 walloping at the hands of the Bobcats. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, Gardner-South Wilmington's shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Wilmington's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs per game. As for Gardner-South Wilmington, their loss dropped their record down to 4-4.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wilmington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. However, it's not like Gardner-South Wilmington struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Wilmington's way against Gardner-South Wilmington in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 as Wilmington made off with a 9-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Wilmington since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
