The Palmetto Panthers will challenge the Coral Reef Barracudas at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Coral Reef will be up against a hot Palmetto squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. Everything went the Panthers' way against South Dade on Wednesday as they made off with a 25-8 victory. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Madeleine Baldwin was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February. Katie Gonzalez also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Palmetto hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are 5-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Coral Reef got themselves on the board against Hialeah-Miami Lakes on Tuesday, but Hialeah-Miami Lakes never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Trojans. With that win, the Barracudas brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Avery Clegg made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Chloe Junco was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, three runs, and one stolen base. Brianna Fields was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
The victory made it two in a row for Coral Reef and bumps their season record up to 16-5. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 0 runs in those games. As for Palmetto, their record is now 8-11.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palmetto hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Coral Reef struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palmetto suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Coral Reef when the teams last played back in March. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
