The East Ridge Knights will head out to challenge the Coral Reef Barracudas at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Coral Reef will be up against a hot East Ridge squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Knights were the clear victors by a 16-6 margin over Oviedo on Tuesday.
Allie McCleary was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Sydney Ralstin also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
East Ridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .423 or higher in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Coral Reef got the win against Osceola on Wednesday by a conclusive 7-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Barracudas.
Quinley Wylie spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Avery Clegg was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Chloe Junco was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
East Ridge pushed their record up to 14-2 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Coral Reef, their win bumped their record up to 12-2.
Both East Ridge and Coral Reef just can't seem to miss. The Knights have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.3 hits per game. However, it's not like Coral Reef struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Ridge took their victory against Coral Reef in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 10-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
