The Western Wildcats will take on the Gulf Coast Sharks at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The timing isn't great for Western: they have been struggling with four straight losses at home, while Gulf Coast has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
Western lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Taravella, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's contest. The Wildcats' pitcher stepped up to hand the Trojans a 6-0 shutout on Thursday.
The result came thanks to Ryan Schaefer's shutout, as he gave up just three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Taisuky Rodriguez
| 03/06/25 @ Deerfield Beach | 3 |
| 02/26/25 vs Coral Springs Charter | 3 |
| 04/03/25 @ Taravella | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Rock Bridge | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Palmetto | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
On the hitting side, Taisuky Rodriguez was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Western is 6-1 when Rodriguez posts two or more runs, but 3-12 otherwise. Jorge Falagan was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast lost 15-3 to American Heritage on Friday. The loss continues a trend for the Sharks in their meetings with the Patriots: they've now lost five in a row.
Western's victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-13. As for Gulf Coast, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Western has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Gulf Coast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
