The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats will head out on the road to square off against the Seffner Christian Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Academy at the Lakes has given up an average of 10.2 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Academy at the Lakes managed to slip by River Ridge the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Wildcats lost 17-7 to the Royal Knights on Wednesday. The Wildcats' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Alexis (Lou) Gattuso made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Nola Reilly, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Meanwhile, Seffner Christian came tearing into Thursday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Falcons as they made off with a 13-4 win. Considering the Crusaders have won five matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Allison Baston made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
In other batting news, Tenley Newman and Isabella Biase did most of the damage at the plate: Newman went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Biase went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Kyla Slauter, who got on base in two of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Seffner Christian pushed their record up to 9-6 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Academy at the Lakes, they now have a losing record of 6-7.
Seffner Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Academy at the Lakes has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .465. It's a different story for Seffner Christian, though, as they've only averaged .354. Will they be able to contain Academy at the Lakes' hitters?
Academy at the Lakes took their victory against Seffner Christian in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 by a conclusive 6-0 score. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Crusaders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
