The Okeechobee Brahmans will take on the Bartow Yellow Jackets at 11:30 a.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Okeechobee 4, Bartow 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Okeechobee took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against John Carroll Catholic as they made off with an 8-2 victory.
Carsen Williams
| 03/12/26 vs John Carroll Catholic | 7 |
| 03/05/26 vs South Fork | 2 |
| 02/10/26 vs Clewiston | 11 |
Carsen Williams was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one double.
In other batting news, Brad Phillips was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, Bartow's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They came up short against Winter Haven, falling 10-4. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Yellow Jackets, who until this matchup were averaging four runs allowed.
Bartow also got a good showing from Laz Martinez, who pitched four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Martinez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Drew Fenley was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Trillion Venz was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Bartow's loss dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Okeechobee, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Okeechobee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bartow struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
