Baseball

GRIFFITH, Ind. – Hunter Niksch lead the way for the Panthers in a dominant 7-3 win over the Generals. Niksch has a seven-inning, one-run, eight-strikeout performance against Griffith that improved the Panthers to a 6-1 record against the last-place team in the Northern League. For the Generals, it was more of the same: inopportune errors and stranded runners in scoring position that put them too far behind for any late-game rally to erase.

Josh Ortiz struggled to find his command early but settled in toward the end of his start, as he pitched six innings of four-run ball in his losing effort. “For him, we’re used to seeing him sharper earlier in his outings,” said coach Peter Romsek after the game. “His curveball was spinning on him early, but he was lights out later in the outing.”

The Generals also added five more errors to their already alarmingly high total for the season. They now have 67 misplays through 27 games, which is a main factor in their lackluster record. “Had a couple of brain farts defensively, added a couple of runs that shouldn’t have been on the board,” said Romsek on another dismal night on the infield.

The Generals are running out of time to turn their season around. Through the first day of July, they currently sit at a .269 winning percentage, with the next closest teams at a .429 winning percentage after the Panthers' win tied them for fourth place with the Elkhart County Miracle.

The Generals have a tall test tomorrow, as they welcome back the Lake County Corn Dogs for a 4:10 p.m. matchup. The Generals are 0-5 against the reigning champs this season.

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