East River hasn't had much luck against Winter Springs recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Falcons will take on the Bears at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (East River 2.8, Winter Springs 2.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
East River is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Lyman by a score of 4-1. The victory was familiar territory for the Falcons, who have now won three contests in a row.
Katherine Sanchez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Mady Alvarado was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Michelle Alvarado, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run.
East River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Winter Springs). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Edgewater a 16-0 shutout on Tuesday. Considering the Bears have won 13 games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Madison Barahona looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tiffany Seemann, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. She also put up a stolen base, which was her first of the season. Alondra Maldonado was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI.
East River's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-6. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Winter Springs, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-8 record this season.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. East River hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .353. However, it's not like Winter Springs struggles in that department as they've averaged .342. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East River suffered a grim 15-2 defeat to Winter Springs in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
