Kermit is 2-8 against Alpine since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets are taking a road trip to take on the Bucks at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Kermit will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Presidio, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Yellow Jackets put the hurt on the Blue Devils with a sharp 20-11 victory on Friday. The win was nothing new for the Yellow Jackets as they're now sitting on three straight.
The team relied heavily on Isabella Urquidi, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Michaela Cazarin also deserves some recognition as she hit her first doubles of the season.
Urquidi wasn't the only one making solid contact: Kermit kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Alpine put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Tornillo a 21-0 shutout. The Bucks haven't had any issues with the Coyotes recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Taryn Hardin made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Zariah Galvan was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Trinity Vega was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Alpine's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-14. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Kermit, their record now sits at 12-10.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Kermit hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .451. However, it's not like Alpine struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kermit suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Alpine in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Yellow Jackets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
