The Stratford Spartans will head out to face off against the Cypress Falls Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Stratford has four straight victories, Cypress Falls has eight straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Stratford took a six-run loss the last time they faced off against Cy-Fair, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Spartans had just enough and edged out the Bobcats 3-2 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Spartans have posted since February 28th.
Gwyn Katterhenry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits.
On the hitting side, Stratford saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Allison Hibbetts, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, it was a Battle of the Birds when Cypress Falls took on Jersey Village on Tuesday. The Eagles came up short against the Falcons, falling 17-9.
Jazlyn Moran and Ava Leblanc did some serious damage despite the final result: Moran scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances, while Leblanc scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Leblanc is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrey Leblanc, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Stratford pushed their record up to 14-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Cypress Falls, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-15.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Stratford hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Cypress Falls 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.
Stratford took their victory against Cypress Falls in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 18-6 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
