The Eastmark Firebirds will head out on the road to face off against the Poston Butte Broncos at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Eastmark had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.7 runs), and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They never let the Patriots onto the board and left with a 16-0 win.
Tayler McCombs was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). McCombs was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two triples, and five RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in the last three games she's played.
In other pitching news, Lexi Mendez looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive pitching appearances.
Back at the plate, Eastmark let Mya Searcy and Bella Gomez loose on the outfield. Searcy went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and an RBI, while Gomez scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Sami Parisi, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Poston Butte had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12.5 runs), and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 20-5 margin over the Eagles.
Haylee Lopez made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned run off two hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Lopez was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, Poston Butte got a massive performance out of Aliyah Madrid, who went 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and a stolen base. Brylee Litviak was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 3-for-3.
Eastmark's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-3. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs per game. As for Poston Butte, their record is now 15-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Eastmark has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Poston Butte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Eastmark took their win against Poston Butte in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 16-1. Does Eastmark have another victory up their sleeve, or will Poston Butte turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
