The Tug Valley Panthers will square off against the Wyoming East Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
While Tug Valley's victory against Tolsia wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Panthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over the Rebels on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since April 23, 2024.
Austin Smith
| 04/19/25 @ Tolsia | 3 |
| 03/19/25 @ Tri-State HomeSchool | 2 |
| 04/10/25 @ Phelps | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs Man | 1 |
Austin Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits (and only one walk). He is becoming a predictor of Tug Valley's success: when he allows at most one earned run the team is undefeated (and 1-8 when he doesn't). Smith was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gavin Fitzpatrick, who earned one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases. He has become a key player for Tug Valley: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 2-8 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Jones, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Wyoming East got themselves on the board against Mingo Central on Saturday, but Mingo Central never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Miners with a sharp 14-0 win. The Warriors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by six runs or more this season.
Like Tug Valley, Wyoming East also got a great game from a two-way player: Miken Smyth. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over six innings pitched. Smyth was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Gaige Cooper was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Braxton Morgan, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Wyoming East was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mingo Central only posted a batting average of .000.
Wyoming East's victory bumped their record up to 13-3. As for Tug Valley, their win bumped their record up to 5-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Tug Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Wyoming East struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
