Van Vleck is 2-8 against East Bernard since January of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Van Vleck Leopards will head out on the road to take on the East Bernard Brahmas at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Van Vleck entered their tilt with Boling with ten consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 11. They were the clear victor by a 17-1 margin over the Bulldogs. Van Vleck's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The team relied heavily on Kylie Sazera, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Michelle Rose Mirelez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, East Bernard made sure to put some runs up on the board against Brazos on Tuesday. East Bernard blew past Brazos 19-3. That looming 19-3 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for East Bernard yet this season.
Rylie Holder and Addison Opela made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Holder struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Opela tossed an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Holder went 1-for-3 with three RBI and a double, while Opela went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Megan Gasch was incredible, going 2-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and a triple. Kendylle Ermis was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Van Vleck pushed their record up to 17-2-1 with that victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs per game. As for East Bernard, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-8-2 record this season.
Van Vleck's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's matchup. Van Vleck has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for East Bernard, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Van Vleck continue to outrun the ball?
Van Vleck came out on top in a nail-biter against East Bernard in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Van Vleck since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
