A feisty cat fight will be fought as Estero Wildcats challenge Barron Collier Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Estero is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.3 runs per game this season.
Estero's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Gateway Charter with a sharp 19-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Griffins: they've now won five in a row.
Annika Jarvi
| 03/25/25 vs Gateway Charter | 3 |
| 03/14/25 vs Port Charlotte | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Island Coast | 1 |
| 02/21/25 vs Lehigh | 1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Bonita Springs | 1 |
Annika Jarvi was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Jarvi was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Lillian Peregrin and Dena Peregrin did most of the damage at the plate: Lillian went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Dena went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most RBI Lillian has posted since back in April of 2024. Avery Sanchez was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Estero kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 5-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Barron Collier was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They lost 19-5 to Gulf Coast. The game marked the Cougars' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Gianna Frino was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Sheila Forbes, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Estero pushed their record up to 8-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to strikeouts: they averaged an imposing 6.75 strikeouts in those games compared to only 1.56 in the others. As for Barron Collier, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-4.
Barron Collier's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Estero has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Barron Collier, though, as they've been averaging 10 hits. Given Estero's sizable advantage in that area, Barron Collier will need to find a way to close that gap.
Estero might still be hurting after the 12-4 loss they got from Barron Collier in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Estero avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
