If Sumter County was feeling good fresh off their 20-2 takedown of Mitchell County on Wednesday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. The Panthers came up short against the Monroe Golden Tornadoes on Friday, falling 33-16. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Golden Tornadoes this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 11-5 on Monday.

Jake Dutcher
| 02/20/26 vs Monroe | 3 |
| 02/18/26 @ Mitchell County | 2 |
| 02/16/26 @ Monroe | 1 |
| 02/13/26 vs Westover | 4 |
| 02/11/26 @ Dougherty | 1 |
Jake Dutcher was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Dutcher was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his six plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played.
In other batting news, Nolan Minter made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He also put up two doubles, which were his first of the season. Wayne Harvey was another key player, getting on base in three of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Sumter County's record is now 3-3. As for Monroe, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-2.
Looking ahead, Sumter County will venture away from home to face off against Shaw at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Monroe, they will host Spencer at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps