Two dominant two-way players in Jillian Baylard and Kailey Estes are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Pitman Pride will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Gregori Jaguars at 4:00 p.m. Pitman hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.
While Pitman couldn't quite beat Downey on Tuesday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 14-point loss they were dealt on Thursday. Pitman fell just short of Downey by a score of 3-1.
Baylard spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks. Those nine strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
At the plate, Rylee Reeves made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Even though they lost, Pitman didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with nine strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Gregori scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They never let Modesto onto the board and left with a 17-0 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Gregori considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Estes was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Estes has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive pitching appearances. Estes was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Gregori got a massive performance out of Kylee Huff, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, five RBI, and three runs. Gabby Castro was another key contributor, scoring four runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4.
Pitman's defeat dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Gregori, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Gregori's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Pitman has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. It's a different story for Gregori, though, as they've only averaged .358. Will they be able to contain Pitman's hitters?
Pitman suffered a grim 16-3 defeat to Gregori in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Pitman, Chloee Hoffman (who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 3-for-4) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
