Spring Lake Park hadn't done well against Centennial recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Cougars a 9-0 shutout. That nine run margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
The result came thanks to Matthew Grundtner's shutout, as he gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Ben Balsimo was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those runs marked the first that he has scored this season. Another player making a difference was Ezra Teferi, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
The victory snapped Spring Lake Park's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-5 record. As for Centennial, they are on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-6.
Spring Lake Park and Centennial could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Minnesota Rankings. The Panthers will take on Andover at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday with a big rank disadvantage (187 vs. 46). Meanwhile, Centennial (ranked 237th) will meet Totino-Grace (ranked 43rd) at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
