The Lake Brantley Patriots will take on the Hagerty Huskies at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lake Brantley is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 12 games.
Lake Brantley is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over Apopka. Considering the Patriots have won 13 games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Auriana Turner, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Rylie Morris also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Lake Brantley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .448. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Apopka only posted a batting average of .174.
Meanwhile, Hagerty had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Knights 4-2.
Ella Verne spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on two hits and racked up ten Ks. Those ten strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Alexis Felker was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Alexandra Beldowicz, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Lake Brantley pushed their record up to 25-3 with the victory, which was their 15th straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Hagerty, their record is now 22-6.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lake Brantley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .374. However, it's not like Hagerty struggles in that department as they've averaged .336. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lake Brantley skirted past Hagerty 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
