The Palmetto Ridge Bears will challenge the South Fort Myers Wolfpack at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games Palmetto Ridge has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Tuesday, Palmetto Ridge sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 11-10 victory over Southwest Florida Christian.
The team relied heavily on Anthony Del Sol, who fired off two home runs, two stolen bases, and three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Tommy Cox was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances.
Del Sol wasn't the only one working in the home run department: Palmetto Ridge lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only South Fort Myers walked away with it. They blew past the Tigers 20-1 on Monday. The Wolfpack's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Parker Eyre was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Eyre was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. He has become a key player for South Fort Myers: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 9-13 otherwise.
In other batting news, Julio Diaz was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Fernando Valenzuela, who scored two runs and stole a base.
Palmetto Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 11-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for South Fort Myers, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 11-14.
South Fort Myers' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Palmetto Ridge has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. It's a different story for South Fort Myers, though, as they've only averaged .365. Will they be able to contain Palmetto Ridge's hitters?
Palmetto Ridge suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to South Fort Myers in their previous matchup back in February. Can the Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
