The Mariner Tritons will head out to face off against the North Port Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Mariner's pitching crew has only allowed 2.6 runs per game this season, so North Port's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Mariner is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering North Fort Myers just ended the team's seven-game winning streak on Tuesday. They came up short against the Red Knights, falling 7-1.
Lilly Kitto was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, North Port hadn't done well against Charlotte recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Bobcats skirted past the Fightin' Tarpons 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bobcats have posted since March 25th.
Payson Rumley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on nine hits.
At the plate, Kaitlin Kohlenberg was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Hailey Perez, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
The win made it two in a row for North Port and bumps their season record up to 9-7. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs in those games. As for Mariner, their loss dropped their record down to 15-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mariner has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like North Port struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mariner might still be hurting after the 9-0 defeat they got from North Port in their previous matchup back in March of 2021. Can the Tritons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
