Paulding has gone 6-1 against Continental recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Panthers will square off against the Pirates at 10:00 a.m. Paulding is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.6 runs per game this season.
Paulding can't be too worried about heading out to take on Continental: they just beat Hicksville at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Panthers blew past the Aces 11-5 on Friday. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly six runs.
Tia Mendez was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Mendez was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Cadence Schwab
| 05/08/26 @ Hicksville | 3 |
| 05/07/26 vs Montpelier | 1 |
| 05/04/26 vs Van Wert | 2 |
| 04/28/26 @ Edgerton | 1 |
| 04/24/26 vs Antwerp | 1 |
| + 6 more games |
In other batting news, Cadence Schwab was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Civil Pumphrey, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Paulding hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Continental beat Miller City 6-2 on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Pirates.
Like Paulding, Continental also got a great game from a two-way player: Gracie Homier. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits (and not a single walk). Homier 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 1-for-3 with three runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kimberly Grant, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Kenzie Searfoss was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs.
Paulding's record now sits at 12-5. As for Continental, their record is now 13-3.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. Paulding 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 Continental struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Paulding's way against Continental in their previous meeting back in April of 2025, as Paulding made off with an 8-0 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
