Tri-County North has gone 9-1 against Franklin Monroe recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Jets at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Tri-County North barely beat Northridge the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Panthers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Polar Bears a 14-0 shutout on Monday. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Polar Bears: they've now won five in a row.
Carter Lake and Peyton Fannin were major factors no matter where they played. Throwing, Lake tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Fannin pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Lake posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. At the plate, Lake went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Fannin went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run. Fannin has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
Ben Knife
| 04/21/25 vs Northridge | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Preble Shawnee | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs New Miami | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Twin Valley South | 2 |
| 04/02/25 vs Madison | 2 |
In other batting news, Ryan Shively and Ben Knife did most of the damage at the plate: Shively got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Knife got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Knife a new career-high. Braylen Keener was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Franklin Monroe came out on top against National Trail on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Jets blew past the Blazers 13-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Jets.
Like Tri-County North, Franklin Monroe also got a great game from a two-way player: Brandt Filbrun. He struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Filbrun also tossed a walk, which is notable because Franklin Monroe is 3-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 3-5 otherwise. Filbrun was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs.
In other batting news, Ty Riffle was excellent, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. He is becoming a predictor of Franklin Monroe's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-6 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Matthew Byram, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Franklin Monroe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Tri-County North pushed their record up to 10-2 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Franklin Monroe, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
Franklin Monroe's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Tri-County North hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. It's a different story for Franklin Monroe, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Tri-County North's hitters?
Tri-County North took their victory against Franklin Monroe in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
