Elizabeth has won five straight games at home, while The Classical Academy has won five straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Cardinals will host the Titans at 3:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Elizabeth's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over Sierra. The Cardinals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 16 contests by six runs or more this season.
Faith Carlson made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aurelia Espinoza, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Larissa Wesbrook, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
Elizabeth was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .667. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .344 or higher in 11 consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, The Classical Academy hadn't done well against Falcon recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Titans walked away with an 11-6 win over the Falcons. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since September 29, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Basil Murphy spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Rilee Sanson was a standout: she got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Taytum Kimbro was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles.
Elizabeth's victory bumped their record up to 20-2. As for The Classical Academy, their win bumped their record up to 15-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Elizabeth has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like The Classical Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Elizabeth's way against The Classical Academy in their previous matchup two weeks ago, as Elizabeth made off with a 19-1 victory. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Titans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
