The Wesley Chapel Wildcats will face off against the River Ridge Royal Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Wesley Chapel 3, River Ridge 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Wesley Chapel blew Cypress Creek out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday Cypress Creek got their revenge. The Wildcats fell just short of the Coyotes by a score of 3-1. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Wesley Chapel got a good showing from Chase Flemming, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Flemming has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Dylan Pabon was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
River Ridge not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since February 11th. They put the hurt on Gulf with a sharp 15-1 win. The Royal Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by seven runs or more this season.
Braden Leach looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cameron Kessell, who fired off two home runs, six RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those six RBI gave him a new career-high. Brayden VanFossen was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.
River Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .647. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
River Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Wesley Chapel, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 9-8 record this season.
Wesley Chapel was able to grind out a solid win over River Ridge when the teams last played back in February, winning 4-1. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Royal Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
