A feisty cat fight will be fought as Forest Park Panthers challenge Jackson Jaguars at 5:55 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, Forest Park and Jackson will really light up the scoreboard.
Forest Park took a 16-run defeat the last time they faced off against Pace Academy, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Forest Park had just enough and edged out Pace Academy 11-10 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since February 18th.
Casey Jones looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Tyrese Jenkins
| 03/26/25 vs Pace Academy | 2 |
| 03/12/25 vs Drew | 2 |
| 02/28/25 vs Douglass | 2 |
| 02/24/25 vs Stephenson | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs Creekside | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
On the hitting side, Tyrese Jenkins was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Forest Park is undefeated when Jenkins posts two or more runs, but 5-7 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Andre Turnipseed, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Jackson waltzed into their contest on Wednesday with eight straight wins... but they left with nine. Everything went their way against the Raiders as they made off with a 15-5 win. 15 seems to be a good number for the Jaguars as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Charlie Schrope and Pearce Henry did most of the damage at the plate: Schrope went 2-for-4 with four RBI and one stolen base, while Henry scored a run while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Henry has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Seth Geter, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Jackson pushed their record up to 17-6 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.4 runs over those games. As for Forest Park, their record is now 9-7.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Forest Park has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. However, it's not like Jackson struggles in that department as they've averaged .485. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Forest Park suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Jackson when the teams last played back in February of 2024. Can Forest Park avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
