Holgate hasn't had much luck against Continental recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Tigers will challenge the Pirates at 5:00 p.m. One thing working in Holgate's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matches.
Holgate barely beat Ottoville the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Tigers put the hurt on the Big Green with a sharp 14-1 win on Saturday.
Lici Escamilla made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Escamilla was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Markee Wilhelm was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Lyndee Palte, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Holgate always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Continental won against Miller City on Monday with nine runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Pirates blew past Leipsic 9-1. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won seven contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Gracie Homier was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kenzie Searfoss, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. Raegen Clemens was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Continental is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Holgate, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-12.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Holgate has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Continental struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Holgate came up short against Continental in their previous matchup back in April, falling 5-2. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
