The St. John Paul II Panthers and the Chiles Timberwolves, after both having extra time off, will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. St. John Paul II is coming into the contest hot, having won their last nine games.
St. John Paul II had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 15-run drubbing they dealt Rickards last Friday. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Raiders a 15-0 shutout. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
AMANDA THOMPSON made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, St. John Paul II let SANAA ROBERTS and SHAVON STEWART run wild. ROBERTS went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while STEWART went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those two doubles gave STEWART a new career-high. D'NAE MOSSE also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
St. John Paul II always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rickards only posted an OBP of .133.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Chiles, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Lincoln 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Timberwolves have posted against the Trojans since April 26, 2023.
Anna Kate Barber spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Benny Powell was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one run. Mackenzie Githens was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs.
St. John Paul II's record now sits at 9-3. As for Chiles, their record is now 9-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. John Paul II has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Chiles struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. John Paul II might still be hurting after the 12-0 defeat they got from Chiles in their previous matchup back in February. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
