The Bristol Panthers will take on the Heartland Christian Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Bristol is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Bristol made easy work of Badger and carried off a 16-5 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won nine games by six runs or more so far this season.
Jack Berry was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Croc Thorp, who went 1-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Bristol always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Badger only posted an OBP of .304.
Meanwhile, Heartland Christian was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-1 heartbreaker at the hands of East Palestine. Surprisingly, this marked the Lions' fifth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Heartland Christian saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brennan Murray, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Bristol has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.4 runs over those games. As for Heartland Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 3-13.
Heartland Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bristol has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. It's a different story for Heartland Christian, though, as they've only averaged .344. Will they be able to contain Bristol's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
