The Steinbrenner Warriors will venture away from home to challenge the Parrish Community Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games Steinbrenner has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Steinbrenner is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They skirted past Palm Harbor University 4-2.
Lilly Patton spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on three hits.
On the hitting side, Jenna Fortenberry was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Callie Bergen was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Parrish Community waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Panthers. Considering the Bulls have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Parrish Community also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Emmaline Van Beck gave up a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 12 Ks. Van Beck has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Alysa Jones, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Kyndal France, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Parrish Community hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Steinbrenner is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season. As for Parrish Community, their record now sits at 24-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Steinbrenner has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Parrish Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Steinbrenner couldn't quite get it done against Parrish Community when the teams last played back in March as they fell 3-0. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
