The American Heritage Patriots will head out on the road to face off against the Doral Academy Firebirds at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are still undefeated (American Heritage has eight wins , while Doral Academy has four).
American Heritage had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt Cardinal Newman on Monday. American Heritage blew past Cardinal Newman 12-2. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by ten runs or more this season.
Isabella Benton made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. What's more, she posted four strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Adrianna Layne was incredible, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 4-for-4. She also brought in three RBI, marking her first of the season. Kylie Diaz was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
American Heritage kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cardinal Newman only managed three hits.
Meanwhile, Doral Academy owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. Everything went their way against Park Vista as Doral Academy made off with a 6-0 win. Fans of the Firebirds have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
The result came thanks to Megan Villazon's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up 14 Ks. Those 14 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, Sara Utera and Sarah Breaux did most of the damage at the plate: Utera went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI, while Breaux went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Anabela Abdullah, who scored a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Doral Academy pushed their record up to 4-0 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 9.9 runs. As for American Heritage, their record now sits at 8-0.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. American Heritage has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Doral Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .560. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
American Heritage couldn't quite finish off Doral Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can American Heritage avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
