Preview: Sebastian River Sharks vs. Martin County Tigers
Sebastian River is 1-9 against Martin County since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Sebastian River Sharks will look to defend their home field against the Martin County Tigers at 6:00 p.m. Sebastian River is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Sebastian River unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Monday. They fell just short of Melbourne by a score of 4-3.
Sebastian River got a good showing from Peyton Landers, who tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits (he also only allowed one walk). Landers has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive pitching appearances. Marcus Claudio relieved him and did a solid job, pitching 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (he also only allowed one walk).
On the hitting side, Sebastian River saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Julius Lewis, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Martin County gave their fans yet another huge win on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Riverdale Ridge with a sharp 11-1 victory. Martin County's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Martin County also got a great performance from Cody Bennin as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk).
At the plate, Dalton French was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Frankie Brancaleone, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Sebastian River's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Martin County, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-2 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Sebastian River has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Martin County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Sebastian River skirted past Martin County 2-1 when the teams last played back in March of 2023. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Martin County's Nicholas Robert, who didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Sebastian River to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
