It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Rowlett Eagles duke it out with Garland Owls at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Rowlett's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They put the hurt on Naaman Forest with a sharp 15-0 win. The victory was familiar territory for the Eagles, who have now won four games in a row.
Baylee Grant was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while going 2-for-2.
Jordynn Williams
| 03/29/25 vs Naaman Forest | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ South Garland | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ Sachse | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs Lakeview Centennial | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Wylie | 3 |
In other batting news, Julissa Casta?eda and Jordynn Williams did most of the damage at the plate: Casta?eda went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Williams scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Williams has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. Emma Gonzalez was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Rowlett was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .556. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Garland made easy work of Naaman Forest on Tuesday and carried off a 15-0 win.
Like Rowlett, Garland also got a great game from a two-way player: Natalie Arent. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Arent was also big at the plate, getting no hits from her two at bats. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in stolen bases (two).
In other batting news, Garland let Cecilia Perry and Christine Porras run wild. Perry went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Porras went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Those three RBI gave Perry a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Karmen Sanders, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
The victory got Rowlett back to even at 11-11-1. As for Garland, their record is now 11-5-1.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rowlett has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .536. However, it's not like Garland struggles in that department as they've averaged .494. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rowlett came up short against Garland in their previous meeting back in March, falling 5-1. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
