The Americas Trail Blazers will venture away from home to challenge the Hanks Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Americas has four straight victories, Hanks has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Americas' pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They blew past Parkland 12-0. The result was nothing new for the Trail Blazers, who have now won 11 matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.
Isabelle Garcia was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Miley Rodriguez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Americas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .519 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Hanks came up short against El Dorado on Saturday, falling 16-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Knights have suffered against the Aztecs since March 1, 2016.
Amberly Mercado was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Audrey Melendez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-5.
Americas now has a winning record of 14-13. As for Hanks, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-9-1.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Americas has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. However, it's not like Hanks struggles in that department as they've averaged .491. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Americas was able to grind out a solid win over Hanks in their previous matchup back in March of 2022, winning 4-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Americas since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
