Naples is 8-2 against Estero since April of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Naples Golden Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Estero Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Naples is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
Naples stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Bonita Springs. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Naples considering their one-run performance the game before.
JOHNNY KING was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). KING has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in nine consecutive pitching appearances. KING was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mac O'MALLEY, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played. NICO BLANCO was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, it was a hard-fought match, but Estero had to settle for a 7-6 defeat against South Fort Myers on Wednesday.
Drue Overmyer made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Case Bowman, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Even though they lost, Estero hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. This was only their first loss (out of five games) when they post two or more strikeouts.
Naples' victory bumped their record up to 17-6. As for Estero, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 17-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Naples has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Estero struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
