The Wharton Wildcats will face off against the East Bay Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
If Wharton beats East Bay with 11 runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Wharton beat Wesley Chapel on Monday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-5. Winning may never get old, but Wharton sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
Eliza Connell made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off 11 hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Isabella Bass, who scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, East Bay had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They blew past Freedom 16-4 on Thursday. The Indians might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by eight runs or more this season.
Like Wharton, East Bay also got a great game from a two-way player: Karsen Nelson. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Nelson was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Jensen Nelson was incredible, scoring five runs and stealing two bases while going 5-for-5. Another player making a difference was Kamiira Austin, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
East Bay hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in nine consecutive contests.
Wharton now has a winning record of 10-9. As for East Bay, their victory bumped their record up to 8-12.
East Bay's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Wharton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for East Bay, though, as they've been averaging only 3.7 strikeouts. Will Wharton keep running through batters, or will the Indians buck the trend?
Wharton might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from East Bay in their previous meeting back in February of 2022. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
