The Pace Patriots will challenge the Gulf Shores Dolphins at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Pace will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
On Thursday, everything went Pace's way against T.R. Miller as Pace made off with an 8-1 victory. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by seven runs or more this season.
Abby McLean made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other pitching news, Hannah DeMarcus tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 14 over six innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season.
Back at the plate, Pace let Gracie Ueberroth and Emma Hicks run wild. Ueberroth scored a run while going 2-for-4, while Hicks scored a run while going 2-for-3. Hicks also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Grayson Cox was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Pace always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as T.R. Miller only posted an OBP of .200.
Meanwhile, Gulf Shores suffered their closest defeat since February 15th on Tuesday. They fell just short of Liberty Creek by a score of 4-2.
Anna Leigh Price spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Gulf Shores saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Neaveh James, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Pace's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 8.8 runs. As for Gulf Shores, their loss dropped their record down to 11-8-1.
Both Pace and Gulf Shores just can't seem to miss. Pace has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. However, it's not like Gulf Shores struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Pace's way against Gulf Shores when the teams last played back in February of 2020, as Pace made off with a 13-5 victory. Will Pace repeat their success, or does Gulf Shores have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
