The Smithville Tigers are on the road again on Thursday to play the Gateway College Preparatory Gators at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Smithville is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They never let Washington onto the board and left with a 21-0 win. Smithville's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Addison Otto made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Otto has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Otto was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, six RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Claire Kennon was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Raini Stanley, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4.
Meanwhile, Gateway College Preparatory came tearing into Friday's game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.2 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Cougars 8-0.
Not much got past Chloe Ellis, who gave up just two hits and racked up 16 Ks to keep China Spring off the board.
At the plate, Paige Copeland was incredible, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Tara Bryson was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Smithville has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 16-9-3 record this season. As for Gateway College Preparatory, they pushed their record up to 23-6-2 with that victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season.
Gateway College Preparatory's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Smithville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .313. It's a different story for Gateway College Preparatory, though, as they've only averaged .244. Will they be able to contain Smithville's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
