Cyprus is 0-5 against Bountiful since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Cyprus Pirates will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bountiful RedHawks at 3:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cyprus waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. Everything went their way against the Lancers as they made off with a 13-6 win.
Bree Garcia was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off eight hits. Garcia has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in eight consecutive pitching appearances. Garcia was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Cyprus let Calee Sharp and Grace Gober loose on the outfield. Sharp scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Gober scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Frankee Kelsch, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Bountiful put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Tuesday. They never let Woods Cross onto the board and left with a 15-0 victory.
Like Cyprus, Bountiful also got a great game from a two-way player: Melissa Turpin. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Turpin was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Bountiful got a massive performance out of Isabeau Hoff, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and a double. Claire Yates was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Cyprus' win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-5. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.6 runs per game. As for Bountiful, their victory bumped their record up to 8-2.
Friday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Cyprus hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. However, it's not like Bountiful struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cyprus came up short against Bountiful in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, falling 5-2. Thankfully for Cyprus, Eva Stoddard (who struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
