The Bishop Verot Vikings will face off against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bishop Verot is returning to their home field after beating Riverview Sarasota on theirs, despite the fact Riverview Sarasota has dominated at home this season. The Vikings were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over the Rams on Tuesday. Bishop Verot's win was all the more impressive since the Rams were averaging only 1.68 runs allowed on the season.
Bishop Verot let Jaelyn Riley and McKenna Robbins run wild. Riley scored two runs while going 2-for-4, while Robbins scored three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Ashley Blexrud, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Bishop Verot always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Riverview Sarasota only posted an OBP of .238.
Meanwhile, while Lakewood Ranch put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Braden River. The Mustangs were the clear victors by an 18-0 margin over the Pirates. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Bella Toscano made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Maddison Anderson was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Payton Burdick was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Bishop Verot is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Lakewood Ranch, their win bumped their record up to 12-8.
Bishop Verot's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Vikings have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lakewood Ranch, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Bishop Verot continue to outrun the ball?
Bishop Verot came out on top in a nail-biter against Lakewood Ranch in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, sneaking past 2-1. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
