The Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies will head out to challenge the Fairbanks Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Johnstown-Monroe gave up the first runs on Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They put the hurt on Hamilton Township with a sharp 16-3 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Johnnies.
Lucia Kuhn
| 05/17/25 vs Hamilton Township | 4 |
| 05/07/25 vs Zanesville | 3 |
| 05/17/25 @ New Albany | 2 |
| 05/02/25 vs Northridge | 1 |
| 04/28/25 @ Utica | 1 |
Johnstown-Monroe got a massive performance out of Lucia Kuhn, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run and four runs. Those four runs gave Kuhn a new career-high. Riley Stefanick was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Johnstown-Monroe was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Fairbanks came tearing into Thursday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 17-1 margin over the Golden Eagles.
Macy Kise made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jenna Dee was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with three doubles, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Claire Meihls, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Fairbanks pushed their record up to 20-2 with the win, which was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Johnstown-Monroe, their record is now 14-9.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Johnstown-Monroe has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Fairbanks struggles in that department as they've averaged .468. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Johnstown-Monroe beat Fairbanks 5-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2017. Do the Johnnies have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
