The Manchester Panthers will challenge the Jackson Polar Bears at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Manchester is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
While Manchester's victory against Tuslaw wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Mustangs 6-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Rachel Baker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on nine hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Alli Hodgkinson was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Chloe White was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Perry hit Jackson with a four-run first inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. Neither the Polar Bears nor the Panthers could gain the upper hand so the two teams had to settle for a 6-6 draw.
Manchester pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. Jackson's draw gives them a new season record of 10-3-1.
Jackson's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Manchester has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Jackson, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Manchester keep running through batters, or will the Polar Bears buck the trend?
Everything went Manchester's way against Jackson when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Manchester made off with a 25-8 win. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Polar Bears turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
