The Florence Gophers will be taking part in a tournament against the Phoenix Christian Cougars at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Florence 3.9, Phoenix Christian 2.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Tuesday, Florence didn't have quite enough to beat Seton Catholic and fell 4-3. The Gophers haven't had much luck with the Sentinels recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Florence saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brody Ramirez, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that Ramirez has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Christian came tearing into Tuesday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitchers stepped up to hand the Spartans a 17-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won nine matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Evan Matthews made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, earning two runs and two stolen bases. Phoenix Christian is undefeated when Matthews posts two or more runs, but 4-5 otherwise.
Phoenix Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive contests.
Florence's loss dropped their record down to 14-5. As for Phoenix Christian, their win bumped their record up to 11-5.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Florence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .378. However, it's not like Phoenix Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .343. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
