Eastside hasn't had much luck against Belleview recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Rams will face off against the Rattlers at 5:00 p.m. Eastside has given up an average of 17.3 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Bell hit Eastside with a four-run fifth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Rams came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 11-1.
Meanwhile, Belleview got themselves on the board against Lake Weir on Thursday, but Lake Weir never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over the Hurricanes. The Rattlers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by eight runs or more this season.
Shea Young and Larry Quartararo made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Young tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Quartararo pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Young got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Quartararo got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. Those two RBI gave Young a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ja'Mere Frymire, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Logan Chen, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Belleview always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .679. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Belleview is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Eastside, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-22.
Eastside might still be hurting after the 17-3 loss they got from Belleview in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.