We've got a battle between Panthers coming up. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Medina Valley has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Navarro will arrive with four straight wins.
Medina Valley came into this matchup off a tough seven-run defeat on Tuesday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Eagle Pass by a score of 5-3 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Panthers have suffered since May 10, 2024.
Reese Hatcher made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Ripps, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Navarro). They were the clear victor by a 19-1 margin over Pearsall on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers have won five contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Matthew Villanueva made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he gave up only three walks, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. Those doubles marked the first that he hit this season.
In other batting news, Colt Brown was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Brown is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season. Another player making a difference was Noah Rosas, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one triple.
Navarro always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pearsall only posted an OBP of .455.
Navarro pushed their record up to 10-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Medina Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.
Medina Valley beat Navarro 4-0 in their previous matchup back in March of 2022. Does Medina Valley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Navarro turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
