The Pickerington North Panthers will take on the Hillsboro Indians at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. Pickerington North has given up an average of 8.5 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
It was a proper cat-fight when Pickerington North took on Kenton Ridge on Friday. The Panthers lost 12-3 to the Cougars. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Pickerington North saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maria Gent, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That home run marked the first that Gent has launched this season. Another was Kaylani Meadows, who went 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Hillsboro entered their tilt with Miami Trace on Wednesday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They skirted past the Panthers 9-7.
Camryn Spruell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 19 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Hillsboro let Madison Dearmon and Merideth Dietrick run wild. Dearmon went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI, while Dietrick went 3-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three hits gave Dietrick a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Addley Miller, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Hillsboro kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive contests.
Hillsboro pushed their record up to 11-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Pickerington North, their loss dropped their record down to 3-8.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Pickerington North hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hillsboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Pickerington North beat Hillsboro 6-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.