The Lakewood Ranch Mustangs will challenge the Parrish Community Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakewood Ranch is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
Lakewood Ranch is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Palmetto get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Mustangs as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Not much got past Lexi Meneely, who gave up just a hit and racked up eight Ks to keep Palmetto off the board.
At the plate, Lakewood Ranch's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Bella Toscano, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Parrish Community was able to grind out a solid victory over Lennard on Tuesday, taking the game 6-1.
Emmaline Van Beck looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Parrish Community let Jersie Rohde and Baylee Fields run wild. Rohde went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI, while Fields went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run. That's the most stolen bases Rohde has posted since back in March.
Parrish Community has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 14 of their last 15 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Lakewood Ranch, their victory bumped their record up to 13-11.
Both Lakewood Ranch and Parrish Community just can't seem to miss. The Mustangs have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9 hits per game. However, it's not like Parrish Community struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lakewood Ranch suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Parrish Community in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Mustangs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
