Simla hasn't had much luck against Peyton recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Cubs are taking a road trip to square off against the Panthers at 10:00 a.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Simla's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Elbert as they made off with an 11-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Cubs in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won seven in a row.
Ethan Kissam was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. Nathaniel Cauthon also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Simla hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Peyton made easy work of Byers on Thursday and carried off a 15-7 win. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly eight runs.
Zayden Ebbert was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Ebbert was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with six RBI, three runs, and one double. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Bryce Compton looked comfortable as he scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Noah Martin, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Liam Stewart, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI and one double.
Simla pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Peyton, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-1.
Saturday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Simla has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .472. However, it's not like Peyton struggles in that department as they've averaged .509. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Simla suffered a grim 18-1 defeat to Peyton when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Cubs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
