The Baker Gators will head out on the road to challenge the Ponce De Leon Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ponce De Leon took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Baker, who comes in off a win.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Baker and Central had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Gators came out on top against the Jaguars by a score of 11-6 on Tuesday. With that victory, the Gators brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Lacey McCranie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Zoe Moncada was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Nevaeh Nava, who went 2-for-5 with three stolen bases and three runs.
Meanwhile, Ponce De Leon entered their game against Paxton on Tuesday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Pirates took a 5-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bobcats. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Pirates couldn't push the score so high this time.
Ponce De Leon also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Savannah Ludwig gave up three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
Ponce De Leon's defeat dropped their record down to 7-2. As for Baker, their win bumped their record up to 5-7.
Baker's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's matchup. The Gators have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ponce De Leon, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Baker continue to outrun the ball?
Baker couldn't quite finish off Ponce De Leon in their previous meeting back in March and fell 8-6. Can the Gators avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
