The Tivy Antlers will venture away from home to challenge the Veterans Memorial Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Tivy took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Wagner a 17-0 shutout. With that victory, the Antlers brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Emmery Davila made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Davila was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, Kyra Wheatfall and Brenna Davila did most of the damage at the plate: Wheatfall went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Brenna scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Aubrie McCullouch, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Tivy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .583. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wagner only posted an OBP of .200.
Meanwhile, Veterans Memorial waltzed into their game on Tuesday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They blew past the Thunderbirds 26-0. The Patriots' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Alyssa Richardson looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Hara Wessling was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with four runs, five RBI, and two doubles. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Melanie Gonzalez was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, four RBI, and two doubles.
Tivy pushed their record up to 12-10 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.7 runs over those games. As for Veterans Memorial, their record is now 17-2.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tivy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .369. However, it's not like Veterans Memorial struggles in that department as they've averaged .381. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tivy might still be hurting after the 12-1 defeat they got from Veterans Memorial in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Antlers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
