The Mulberry Panthers are taking a road trip to face off against the All Saints' Academy Saints at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Mulberry will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
On Monday, Mulberry earned an 8-4 victory over Lakeland Christian.
Haylie Hightower spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits.
On the hitting side, Mulberry got a massive performance out of Lorianys Castanon Cruz, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-5. What's more, Castanon Cruz posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Alanah Rau, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Mulberry was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .405. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, All Saints' Academy had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. Everything went their way against Discovery on Thursday as they made off with a 19-1 win. That looming 19-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Saints yet this season.
Skylynn Gaskin was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, five RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sarah Dugger, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Zoey Bowman, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Mulberry pushed their record up to 11-7 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for All Saints' Academy, their record is now 3-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mulberry has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like All Saints' Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mulberry took their victory against All Saints' Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2017 by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Saints turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
