Delavan hasn't had much luck against Brimfield recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Indians at 4:30 p.m.
Delavan fell victim to Tremont and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (10-0), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. The match marked the first time this year in which they were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Brimfield). They blew past Stark County 18-2 on Wednesday. The win was familiar territory for the Indians, who have now won nine contests in a row.
Evan Patterson and Kaeden Schatsiek made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Patterson tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Schatsiek struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs but no hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in six consecutive appearances. At bat, Patterson went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Schatsiek went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Layne Johnson and Dane Fagerburg did most of the damage at the plate: Johnson went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and one stolen base, while Fagerburg went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Those four RBI gave Fagerburg a new career-high. Tommy Burkitt was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Brimfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive games.
Brimfield's victory was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 21-4-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Delavan, their loss dropped their record down to 12-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Delavan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Brimfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Delavan couldn't quite get it done against Brimfield in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
