The Exeter Monarchs will be taking part in a tournament against the Strathmore Spartans at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The last three games Exeter has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
If Exeter beats Strathmore with four runs on Saturday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Exeter beat Roosevelt on Tuesday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 4-3.
Meanwhile, Strathmore came tearing into Thursday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Wolves. While the Spartans didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-22), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Anabelle Benavides and Avery Behrens did most of the damage at the plate: Benavides went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double, while Behrens scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. That double marked the first that Benavides hit this season. Elisabeth Ceballos was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3.
They weren't the only ones working in the hit department: Strathmore kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in six consecutive contests.
Strathmore pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Exeter, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season.
Everything went Exeter's way against Strathmore in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Exeter made off with a 13-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Exeter since the team 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
