The Taft Eagles will venture away from home to square off against the Stevenson Patriots at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Taft made easy work of ITW David Speer Academy and carried off a 16-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Pride: they've now won three in a row.
Taft got a great performance from Claire Dennewitz as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Taft let Gabriela Gonzalez and Michaela Power run wild. Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with six RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Power went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI Power has posted over her last 14 games. Another player making a difference was Jiselle Hernandez, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
Taft always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as ITW David Speer Academy only posted an OBP of .350.
Meanwhile, Stevenson owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Lane Tech. Winning may never get old, but the Patriots sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Ava Potempa tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Maahi Patel was a standout: she went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Sara Saiki, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Stevenson pushed their record up to 16-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Taft, their record is now 15-8.
Taft took their victory against Stevenson in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 17-1 score. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
