After both having extra time off, the Sickles Gryphons and the Strawberry Crest Chargers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Sickles' pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Thursday. They blew past Armwood 15-0. Considering the Gryphons have won five games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Lauren Larsen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Zoe Mello
| 03/13/25 vs Armwood | 3 |
| 02/18/25 @ Robinson | 2 |
| 04/04/24 vs Robinson | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Jefferson | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs Palm Harbor University | 1 |
In other batting news, Sickles let Kalyssa Austin and Zoe Mello run wild. Austin went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and five RBI, while Mello went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Those three runs gave Mello a new career-high. Brianna Welk was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Sickles always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Armwood only posted an OBP of .111.
Meanwhile, Strawberry Crest came into Thursday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over Tampa Bay Tech last Thursday.
Katelyn Watts made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the first time she hasn't allowed a single hit since back in April of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kennedy Shea, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Ava Cater, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
The victory made it two in a row for Sickles and bumps their season record up to 5-8. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 0 runs in those games. As for Strawberry Crest, their victory bumped their record up to 3-6.
Sickles' speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's matchup. Sickles has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Strawberry Crest, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Sickles continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Sickles' way against Strawberry Crest when the teams last played back in March of 2023, as Sickles made off with a 14-4 win. Does Sickles have another victory up their sleeve, or will Strawberry Crest turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
