The Fort Meade Miners will face off against the Lakeland Christian Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games Fort Meade has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Friday, Fort Meade didn't have quite enough to beat Mulberry and fell 2-1.
Fort Meade saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zachary Brooks, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Lakeland Christian never let their opponents score on Monday. Everything went their way against George Jenkins as they made off with a 7-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won nine matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Carson Martin tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out six over six innings pitched. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Parker Kant, who scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in February. Brooks Blankenship was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Lakeland Christian is on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 15 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Fort Meade, their loss dropped their record down to 14-8.
Fort Meade's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. The Miners have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lakeland Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Fort Meade continue to outrun the ball?
Fort Meade suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Lakeland Christian when the teams last played back in March of 2017. Can the Miners avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
