The Boone Braves will head out to take on the Lake Brantley Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Boone is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.3 runs per game this season.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Tuesday as neither Boone nor Seminole made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Braves fell just short of the Seminoles by a score of 3-2. The loss continues a trend for the Braves in their meetings with the Seminoles: they've now lost three in a row.
Boone saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emma Wolfgramm, who went 1-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Lake Brantley had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 10-8 victory over the Lions.
Belle Rosales made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was even better at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Rylin Sprague was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Auriana Turner was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Lake Brantley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Foundation Academy only posted a batting average of .267.
Lake Brantley pushed their record up to 20-3 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for Boone, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-9.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Boone hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. However, it's not like Lake Brantley struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Boone couldn't quite finish off Lake Brantley in their previous meeting back in April of 2016 and fell 5-3. Can the Braves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
