The Vero Beach Indians will square off against the Sebastian River Sharks at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Vero Beach will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
Last Wednesday, Vero Beach got the win against Port St. Lucie by a conclusive 19-2. Considering the Indians have won five matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Taylor Stevens made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Stevens was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, Vero Beach let Trinity Bishop and Lilly Sims run wild. Bishop scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2, while Sims scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Those two stolen bases gave Bishop a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kylie Williams, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1.
Vero Beach always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .808. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Sebastian River beat Central 13-8 on Friday.
Like Vero Beach, Sebastian River also got a great game from a two-way player: Kiera Carow. Throwing, Carow struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Abigail Bowie-Whitsett tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Carow got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one home run and three runs, while Bowie-Whitsett scored a run while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. That home run marked the first that Carow launched this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rily Biggers, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Makayla Smith was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4.
The win got Vero Beach back to even at 8-8. As for Sebastian River, their victory bumped their record up to 11-8.
Vero Beach came out on top in a nail-biter against Sebastian River in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 5-3. Do the Indians have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Sharks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
