The Homestead Mustangs will face off against the Saratoga Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Homestead comes in on three and Saratoga on six.
Homestead came out on top against Fremont on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Mustangs never let the Firebirds get on the board and left with an 8-0 victory.
The result came thanks to Mackenzie Smith's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Elisa Coyle, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Cierra Hagan, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Saratoga made easy work of MacDonald on Friday and carried off a 12-1 win. Considering the Falcons have won ten matches by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Saira Ramakrishnan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Ramakrishnan was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Saratoga got a massive performance out of Sydney Riera, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Sandy Vavrousek also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Saratoga always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as MacDonald only posted an OBP of .300.
Homestead's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-4. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Saratoga, their record now sits at 15-2.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Homestead hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Saratoga struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Homestead skirted past Saratoga 6-5 in their previous meeting back in May of 2016. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
