The DeLand Bulldogs will square off against the Taylor Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
DeLand's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They put the hurt on Pine Ridge with a sharp 15-0 win. The high-scoring effort was just what the Bulldogs needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Hailey Whidden made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Teagan Squires, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Alex Lacombe, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
DeLand hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Taylor, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They blew past Interlachen 13-4 on Monday.
Amya Ramos was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Caydence Hassell, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
With the victory, DeLand broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 8-9. As for Taylor, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.
DeLand took their victory against Taylor in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 14-1 score. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
