The Baker County Wildcats will square off against the Arnold Marlins at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Baker County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over Choctawhatchee. The win was nothing new for the Wildcats as they're now sitting on seven straight.
Grace Masterson led a balanced Wildcats bullpen and tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Masterson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 19 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Nasia Green, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Sadye Harvey, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Baker County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in eight consecutive matchups.
Clay typically has all the answers at home, but on Wednesday Arnold proved too difficult a challenge. They blew past the Blue Devils 10-1.
Bre Clark spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up 13 Ks.
At the plate, Laela Kern was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Jayden Reyes was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Baker County pushed their record up to 20-4 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Arnold, their record now sits at 18-8.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Baker County hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Arnold struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.6 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
