First Colonial is 2-8 against Ocean Lakes since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Patriots will host the Dolphins at 4:00 p.m. First Colonial will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak.
If First Colonial beats Ocean Lakes with six runs on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Patriots walked away with a 6-3 win over Kempsville on Friday.
Cori Evans spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, First Colonial let Tori Rodriguez and Aimee Ord run wild. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double, while Ord went 1-for-4 with two runs and one triple. That double was Rodriguez's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Myla Viloria, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ocean Lakes). They never let Green Run get on the board and left with an 18-0 victory on Tuesday. Considering the Dolphins have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Sam Patterson and Kaitlyn Wilms made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Patterson struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Wilms pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Patterson went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI, while Wilms went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Ocean Lakes got a massive performance out of Cali Watson, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and two RBI. Those two RBI gave Watson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lucy Scheible, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Ocean Lakes always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Green Run only posted an OBP of .200.
First Colonial pushed their record up to 9-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Ocean Lakes, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.
First Colonial's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Patriots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ocean Lakes, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will First Colonial continue to outrun the ball?
First Colonial suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to Ocean Lakes in their previous meeting back in March. Will the Patriots have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
