Burlington is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Peyton is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Cougars will host the Panthers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Burlington barely beat Stratton the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars never let the Eagles get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory on Thursday. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by six runs or more this season.
Daxton Skarphol was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 6.1 innings pitched. He is becoming a predictor of Burlington's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 3-1 (and 3-7 when he doesn't). Skarphol was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one double.
Scout Humrich
| 04/24/25 vs Stratton | 3 |
| 05/09/24 @ Sedgwick County | 2 |
| 03/21/24 vs Eads | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Colby | 1 |
| 04/15/25 vs Limon | 1 |
In other batting news, Scout Humrich was incredible, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Darian McDonough, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Peyton won against Colorado Springs Christian last Thursday with 12 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Wednesday. The Panthers walked away with a 12-7 win over La Veta.
Like Burlington, Peyton also got a great game from a two-way player: Noah Martin. Throwing, Martin pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Bryce Compton tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Martin has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. At the plate, Martin went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs, while Compton got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colton Cobb, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Zayden Ebbert was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
Peyton hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive games.
Peyton's victory bumped their record up to 13-1. As for Burlington, their win bumped their record up to 6-8.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Burlington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like Peyton struggles in that department as they've averaged .513. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Burlington came up short against Peyton in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 8-3. Will the Cougars have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
