The Norfolk Panthers are taking a road trip to square off against the Omaha Central Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Norfolk has given up an average of 8.8 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Norfolk came up short against Lincoln Northeast on Tuesday, falling 14-1. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Norfolk saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alex Makshantsev, who went 1-for-3 with one run.
Omaha Central never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Omaha Northwest on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Huskies with a sharp 18-0 win. That looming 18-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Eagles yet this season.
Julius Gentleman made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Omaha Central's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 2-15 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Silas Weber, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Oscar Yuhas, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Omaha Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Norfolk's defeat dropped their record down to 5-11. As for Omaha Central, with the victory, they broke their four-game losing streak and moved their record to 7-15.
Norfolk beat Omaha Central 6-1 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
