A feisty cat fight will be fought as Maypearl Panthers face off against Midlothian Heritage Jaguars at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Maypearl took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Rice 4-3. The victory was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Alyssa Rogers spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Maypearl saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kyla Teague, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Midlothian Heritage entered their tilt with Ennis on Friday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They walked away with a 10-5 win over the Lions.
Trinity Chittamai made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Joleigh Richards was incredible, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-5. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Ariel Dean, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Midlothian Heritage kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in four consecutive matches.
Maypearl pushed their record up to 9-7-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of three runs across that stretch. As for Midlothian Heritage, their record is now 15-7.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maypearl has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Midlothian Heritage struggles in that department as they've averaged .478. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maypearl suffered a grim 13-2 defeat to Midlothian Heritage in their previous meeting back in March of 2022. Can Maypearl avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
