The Palm Harbor University Hurricanes will challenge the Calvary Christian Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Calvary Christian will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Palm Harbor University extended their winning streak to eight on Wednesday. The Hurricanes put the hurt on St. Petersburg with a sharp 17-2 win.
Taylor Barr looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Lana Bathurst was a standout: she scored three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Heal, who scored three runs while going 3-for-3.
Palm Harbor University always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .759. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Calvary Christian got themselves on the board against Indian Rocks Christian on Tuesday, but Indian Rocks Christian never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Eagles. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won six in a row.
Katie Kapusta made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Kapusta was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Julia Tamulski, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Claire Caoili, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
Calvary Christian's win was their 20th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 21-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.1 runs over those games. As for Palm Harbor University, their win bumped their record up to 18-4.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palm Harbor University hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Calvary Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palm Harbor University couldn't quite get it done against Calvary Christian in their previous meeting back in March of 2021 as they fell 7-3. Can the Hurricanes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
