The East Bay Indians will head out on the road to face off against the Wharton Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
East Bay took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Freedom as they made off with a 16-4 win. Considering the Indians have won seven games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Karsen Nelson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Nelson was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Jensen Nelson
| 04/10/25 vs Freedom | 5 |
| 03/31/25 @ Lennard | 4 |
| 03/29/25 vs Freedom | 3 |
| 03/11/25 @ Armwood | 3 |
| 03/07/25 vs Palm Harbor University | 3 |
In other batting news, Jensen Nelson was incredible, scoring five runs and stealing two bases while going 5-for-5. Those five hits gave her a new career-high. Kamiira Austin was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
East Bay kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Wildcats on Monday. Wharton beat Wesley Chapel by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-5. The victory was nothing new for Wharton as they're now sitting on three straight.
Like East Bay, Wharton also got a great game from a two-way player: Eliza Connell. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off 11 hits. Connell has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isabella Bass, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Wharton now has a winning record of 10-9. As for East Bay, they moved to 8-12 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East Bay hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. However, it's not like Wharton struggles in that department as they've averaged .331. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went East Bay's way against Wharton in their previous meeting back in February of 2022, as East Bay made off with an 11-1 victory. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
