Walden Grove is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Eastmark is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Red Wolves will welcome the Firebirds at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Walden Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Walden Grove is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to ten runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Sahuarita on Thursday. They came up short against the Mustangs, falling 16-2. The Red Wolves have struggled against the Mustangs recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
Walden Grove saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jayden Gonzales, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, while Eastmark put up plenty of runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Combs. The Firebirds were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Coyotes. The result was nothing new for the Firebirds, who have now won 11 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Andrea Fletcher made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one run.
In other batting news, Ella Larned was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and two runs. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Makenzie Bozeman was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Eastmark was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .515. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in 11 consecutive matches.
Eastmark has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Walden Grove, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Walden Grove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Eastmark struggles in that department as they've averaged .376. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
