Park Tudor is 2-7 against University since May of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Panthers will square off against the Trailblazers at 6:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Park Tudor is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Covenant Christian 15-14. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The team relied heavily on Desmond Francis, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Derek Ai, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Park Tudor kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, University waltzed into their game on Saturday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They were the clear victors by a 19-2 margin over the Raiders. The result was nothing new for the Trailblazers, who have now won 12 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Jacob Shearer looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in 12 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Charlie Ranek was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, three runs, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Beckett Suh, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Park Tudor is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for University, their record now sits at 18-11.
Park Tudor came up short against University in their previous matchup last Friday, falling 5-1. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
