The Creekside Knights will take on the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Creekside easily dispatched Beachside on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Knights fell just short of Bartram Trail by a score of 3-1 on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Knights couldn't push the score so high this time.
Arianna Carrigan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Creekside saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Grace Lancaster, who went 1-for-2 with one triple.
Meanwhile, Episcopal School of Jacksonville came tearing into Thursday's contest with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Golden Eagles by a score of 12-7. Episcopal School of Jacksonville's victory was all the more impressive since the Golden Eagles were averaging only 3.71 runs allowed on the season.
Riley Valent was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kenzie Ranalli and Crissie Clayman did most of the damage at the plate: Ranalli fired off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-4, while Clayman scored three runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave Clayman a new career-high. Emily Davidson was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Episcopal School of Jacksonville's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Creekside, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-6.
Creekside beat Episcopal School of Jacksonville 6-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
