Griffith, IN– The Panthers are now six for seven in beating the Generals on the year. In those seven games, there have been some nail-biters. However, the Panthers won this one comfortably courtesy of strong offense and an absolute gem from Hunter Niksch.
The Panthers faced Joshua Ortiz and had a much better day off of him compared to his last start against him. Jason Krol got the Panthers on the board in the first inning with an RBI single. He eventually came around to score after a Jason Ballard sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Krol came through again in the third by bringing in Khyle Radcliffe with a single. Just like that it was a 3-0 Panther lead.
Hunter Niksch got in his only trouble in the fourth as he gave up one run on an RBI single. Niksch went seven innings and allowed one run on four hits while striking out eight.
“I commanded all my pitches and I felt like I could throw it at any spot.”
Niksch’s start was one of the better ones we have seen in the Northern League so far and put him right up there for contention for Northern League Pitcher of the Week. Niksch agreed this was one of his better starts in his lifetime.
“Definitely my best start so far. I am never going to expect to be perfect, but I am going to try and improve every single day. The one run hurt me a little bit, but I still threw seven innings. It felt good.”
Krol picked up his third RBI of the day in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. Jason Krol finished his night 3-3 with two RBIs in only his second game with the Panthers. Two of his RBIs brought in Khyle Radcliffe who made his presence felt in the two-spot in his debut.
Radcliffe went 2-5 with two runs scored with several stolen bases while playing stellar defense.
“It feels good coming in on a new team and making an impact. Playing hard and making a positive impact. I am blessed to be out here.”
Another storyline to the game was Khyle’s younger brother making an impact as well in his debut. Jacoby Radcliffe went 1-4 with a run scored while showcasing his elite speed by swiping several bags.
“It was good playing with a new team. I just played my game today and helped the team win. I am going to continue to do that.”
They both agreed how special it was to not only be able to take the field with their sibling, but also both make an impact. Jacoby shared the significance this moment had while also explaining how much of a role model Khyle has been in his life.
“It is more special than anything. Especially because our parents get to watch us play. He [Khyle] is older so he teaches me so much. I was an incoming freshman at our college so he taught me the ropes that season. What to do, what not to do, and how to be a better baseball player.”
Not many people were familiar with the Radcliffe’s before their debut, but they displayed it Saturday night. They hit and defended well, had good at bats, and showed elite speed. Khyle gives everyone a better idea of what his game consists of and says what people should expect from him as he progresses into the season. Interestingly enough, he compares his game to his brother’s game and says they play the game very similarly.
“I see similarities in both our games. We are pretty much the same player. We can both hit for average and power. We both play great defense and can get on base. We have the ability to turn a single into a double. We both have good arms in the outfield. Most importantly, we play hard and trust ourselves and trust one another.”
Brendon Meyers picked up an RBI single and the Generals scored two in the ninth off of Anthony Scanlon, but the Panthers won 7-3 and moved to 12-16 and are sniffing a playoff spot.
BOX SCORE-
http://thenorthernleaguestats.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230701_w3t6.xml