Hilliard Darby is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Wednesday. They will head out to challenge the Dublin Jerome Celtics at 5:15 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Hilliard Darby has four straight wins, Dublin Jerome has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Hilliard Darby barely beat Reynoldsburg the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers were the clear victors by a 13-4 margin over the Raiders on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers have won six matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabby Jordan tossed a big game, pitching six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
At the plate, Molly Goudy and Kaydence Speelman did most of the damage at the plate: Goudy scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Speelman went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Carmella Biedenbach was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Dublin Jerome lost 11-1 to Buckeye Valley on Tuesday.
Haydyn Stoner (2026) made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Hilliard Darby pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Dublin Jerome, their loss dropped their record down to 0-5.
Dublin Jerome's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hilliard Darby has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .530. It's a different story for Dublin Jerome, though, as they've only averaged .301. Will they be able to contain Hilliard Darby's hitters?
Hilliard Darby took their victory against Dublin Jerome when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 15-5 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
