The Pine Forest Eagles will face off against the Booker T. Washington Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pine Forest has given up an average of 8.6 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Friday just wasn't the day for Pine Forest's offense. They came up short against Gulf Breeze on Friday, falling 21-0. The Eagles have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Booker T. Washington faced off against Pensacola on Tuesday. Booker T. Washington blew past Pensacola 18-9. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won six in a row.
Khaycee Mack was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and seven unearned) runs off 11 hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Skylar Brown and Lana Van Wyck did most of the damage at the plate: Brown went a perfect 4-for-4 with seven RBI, one run, and one double, while Van Wyck scored four runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave Van Wyck a new career-high in hits (three). Another player making a difference was Nyeasia Buggs-Moore, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Booker T. Washington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .591. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Pine Forest's loss dropped their record down to 3-2. As for Booker T. Washington, their win bumped their record up to 2-4.
Pine Forest's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. Pine Forest has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Booker T. Washington, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Pine Forest continue to outrun the ball?
Pine Forest took their victory against Booker T. Washington in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 16-1. Will Pine Forest repeat their success, or does Booker T. Washington have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
