The Pickerington North Panthers will square off against the Bishop Hartley Hawks at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Wednesday just wasn't the day for Pickerington North's offense. They came up short against Logan Elm on Wednesday, falling 8-0. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Pickerington North saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Addison Mickey, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Meanwhile, Bishop Hartley beat St. Francis DeSales 11-7 on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Hawks in their matchups with the Stallions: they've now won seven in a row.
Jasmine Wooten was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. Wooten was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Bishop Hartley let Chelsea Gautier and Morgan Bailey run wild. Gautier went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI, while Bailey went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Bailey has posted since back in April of 2024. Nia Johnson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Bishop Hartley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 12-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Bishop Hartley's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-4. As for Pickerington North, their loss dropped their record down to 10-15.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Pickerington North hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Bishop Hartley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.2 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Pickerington North suffered a grim 14-4 defeat to Bishop Hartley in their previous meeting back in May of 2015. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
