The Newberry Panthers will square off against the Gainesville Hurricanes at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Newberry 2.6, Gainesville 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Newberry is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 11 runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Bronson on Tuesday. They took a 4-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles. The matchup marked the Panthers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Newberry saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tristan Layfield, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Gainesville had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Red Devils as they made off with a 13-7 victory. The Hurricanes' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
McKenna O'Sullivan made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and four unearned) runs off 11 hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March of 2024. She was even better at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three doubles and four RBI.
In other batting news, Lana Renicks was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in February. Another player making a difference was Lili Overstreet, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Gainesville's win bumped their record up to 8-5. As for Newberry, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 11-1.
Newberry's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's game. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Gainesville, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Newberry continue to outrun the ball?
Newberry suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Gainesville in their previous meeting back in March of 2020. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
