The Key West Conchs will head out to take on the American Heritage Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Key West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Key West is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Satellite a 3-0 shutout. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Conchs.
Not much got past Kasey Kasper, who gave up just seven hits to keep Satellite off the board. Kasper has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Auggy Davila, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, American Heritage had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Tuesday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Raiders.
Enrique Santos looked comfortable as he pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, American Heritage's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was RJ Machado, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
American Heritage's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 23-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Key West, their record is now 20-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Key West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like American Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Key West couldn't quite finish off American Heritage when the teams last played back in March of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Conchs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
