Pine Crest is on a three-game streak of home losses, and Miami Country Day a four-game streak of away losses dating back to last season. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Friday. The Pine Crest Panthers will be playing at home against the Miami Country Day Spartans at 5:00 p.m. Pine Crest has given up an average of 21.2 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Pine Crest is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They fell just short of Highlands Christian by a score of 24-23 on Thursday.
Pine Crest got a massive performance out of Elly Schnurman, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave Schnurman a new career-high. Samantha Burke was another key player, getting on base in all six of her plate appearances with four runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Schnurman wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Pine Crest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Miami Country Day has relied on a stalwart pitcher averaging 3.6 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Wednesday. They came up short against Palmer Trinity, falling 10-2. The matchup marked the Spartans' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Collins Ames spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and nine unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Miami Country Day saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maggie Houser, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Having lost for the first time this season, Miami Country Day fell to 4-1. As for Pine Crest, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Pine Crest has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .648. However, it's not like Miami Country Day struggles in that department as they've averaged .516. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pine Crest came out on top in a nail-biter against Miami Country Day in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 1-0. Will Pine Crest repeat their success, or does Miami Country Day have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
