It'll be a Battle of the Birds when Garland Owls face off against Rowlett Eagles at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Garland's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Naaman Forest as they made off with a 15-0 victory.
Natalie Arent
| 04/01/25 @ Naaman Forest | 2 |
| 04/10/24 vs Sachse | 1 |
| 04/06/24 @ Naaman Forest | 1 |
| 03/28/24 vs Lakeview Centennial | 1 |
| 03/26/24 @ North Garland | 1 |
Natalie Arent made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting no hits from her two at bats. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in stolen bases (two).
In other batting news, Garland let Cecilia Perry and Christine Porras run wild. Perry went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Porras went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI Porras has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Mady Key, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2.
Garland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Naaman Forest only posted an OBP of .182.
Meanwhile, Rowlett entered their tilt with Naaman Forest on Saturday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They blew past the Rangers 15-0. That's two games straight that the Eagles have won by exactly 15 runs.
Baylee Grant was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Grant was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Julissa Casta?eda and Jordynn Williams did most of the damage at the plate: Casta?eda went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Williams scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. Casta?eda also hit a triple, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Emma Gonzalez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Rowlett's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-11-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Garland, their win bumped their record up to 11-5-1.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Garland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .394. However, it's not like Rowlett 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.
Garland was able to grind out a solid victory over Rowlett in their previous meeting back in March, winning 5-1. Do the Owls have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
