The Palm Beach Central Broncos will take on the Olympic Heights Lions at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Palm Beach Central knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Olympic Heights likes a good challenge.
Palm Beach Central barely beat Cardinal Newman the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Broncos were the clear victors by a 17-6 margin over the Crusaders on Tuesday. Considering the Broncos have won five games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kacie Riggan
| 04/01/25 @ Cardinal Newman | 9 |
| 03/18/25 @ Dr. Joaquin Garcia | 3 |
| 03/13/25 vs American Heritage | 4 |
| 03/11/25 vs Wellington | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ King's Academy | 4 |
| + 4 more games |
Kacie Riggan made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February. She was even better at the plate, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run and five RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sara Spidalieri, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and one double. That double marked the first that she hit this season. Another player making a difference was Annabella Hamilton, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Palm Beach Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 12.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Olympic Heights' offense. They came up short against Boca Raton on Wednesday, falling 15-0. The defeat continues a trend for the Lions in their meetings with the Bobcats: they've now lost five in a row.
Palm Beach Central's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-4. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.9 runs over those games. As for Olympic Heights, their loss dropped their record down to 5-5.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palm Beach Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .331. However, it's not like Olympic Heights struggles in that department as they've averaged .350. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palm Beach Central took their win against Olympic Heights in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 27-12 score. Do the Broncos have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
