The Arcadia Firebirds will venture away from home to face off against the Chincoteague Ponies at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Wednesday, Arcadia made easy work of Holly Grove Christian and carried off a 12-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Firebirds in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won five in a row.
Brinlee Kauthen and Ryann Giddens were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Kauthen tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Giddens didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. At the plate, Kauthen went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Giddens went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and two runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Olivia Lynch, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Payton Taylor was another, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Chincoteague got the win against Northampton on Tuesday by a conclusive 15-1. That 14 run margin sets a new team best for the Ponies this season.
The team relied heavily on Ginny Sawyer, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Faith Stadler, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs.
Chincoteague kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Northampton only managed three hits.
Chincoteague has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Arcadia, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Arcadia has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Chincoteague struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Arcadia took their victory against Chincoteague in their previous matchup last Tuesday by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Firebirds since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
