The Newberry Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Gainesville Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Newberry is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Newberry took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They never let Eastside get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Rams: they've now won nine in a row.
Gracie Mattson made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February.
Aubrey Mattson
| 04/17/25 vs Eastside | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Interlachen | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Bell | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Bronson | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ St. Augustine | 1 |
In other batting news, Newberry got a massive performance out of Aubrey Mattson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Mattson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Olivia Tharp, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Newberry always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .704. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Gainesville posted their closest victory since March 28, 2024 on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over Columbia.
McKenna O'Sullivan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on nine hits.
At the plate, Gainesville saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lana Renicks, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Gainesville is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Newberry, their record now sits at 15-4.
Newberry's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's game. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gainesville, though, as they've been averaging only 0.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Newberry continue to outrun the ball?
Newberry suffered a grim 13-6 defeat to Gainesville when the teams last played on April 2nd. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
