The Sumter County Panthers are taking a road trip to challenge the Hardaway Hawks at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Sumter County is no doubt hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Sumter County finally turned things around against Jordan on Thursday. They blew past the Red Jackets 16-5. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Panthers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Madison Shelton made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single hit, only one earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Christina Battle, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Candance Pitts, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Sumter County didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 12 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Hardaway fell victim to Columbus and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 15-0 to the Blue Devils. Having soared to a lofty 24 runs in the game before, the Hawks' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Sumter County now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Hardaway, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-4.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Sumter County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Hardaway struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sumter County took their win against Hardaway in their previous meeting back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 15-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for Sumter County since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
