Neumann hasn't had much luck against Seacrest Country Day recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Celtics will take on the Stingrays at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Neumann is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Everglades City as they made off with a 17-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Celtics in their matchups with the Gators: they've now won four in a row.
Sophia Escobar was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Escobar was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three runs.
In other batting news, Neumann let Jesse Camejo and Brooke Rimes run wild. Camejo went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI, while Rimes got on base in two of her three plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave Rimes a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Shefsky, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Seacrest Country Day entered their tilt with Community School of Naples on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They blew past the Seahawks 9-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Like Neumann, Seacrest Country Day also got a great game from a two-way player: Caroline Porter. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 17 over seven innings pitched. Porter has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jolie Booth and Dailin 'D' Delgado did most of the damage at the plate: Booth went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Delgado got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. Booth is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Kami Gray also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Neumann's win was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Seacrest Country Day, their record is now 9-6.
Neumann took their win against Seacrest Country Day in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 15-5 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Celtics since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
