The Forsyth Panthers will square off against the Marionville Comets at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Forsyth is headed into the matchup having just posted their closest victory since May 3, 2024 on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over Clever. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
The team relied heavily on Haiden Holle, who went 2-for-4 with one home run. Lili Roberts was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
Forsyth 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 contests.
Meanwhile, Marionville earned a 13-8 victory over Forsyth on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Comets.
Annaliyah Ghan and Brooklyn Holder did most of the damage at the plate: Ghan went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs, while Holder went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Ghan has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. Another player making a difference was Maggie Murphy, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Marionville pushed their record up to 14-13 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.7 runs over those games. As for Forsyth, their win bumped their record up to 12-16.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Forsyth hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .336. However, it's not like Marionville struggles in that department as they've averaged .392. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Forsyth couldn't quite get it done against Marionville in their previous meeting on Tuesday as they fell 13-8. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
