Independence and Porter Ridge are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Independence Patriots will head out on the road to face off against the Porter Ridge Pirates at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Porter Ridge is hoping to do on Tuesday what East Mecklenburg couldn't on Friday: put an end to Independence's winning streak, which now stands at three games. Independence never let East Mecklenburg onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Ten seems to be a good number for Independence as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Maliyah Alexander made a splash while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Alexander has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances. Alexander was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sydnee Platt, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. Kimber Mulkey was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Porter Ridge got the win against Cuthbertson on Friday by a conclusive 11-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Porter Ridge.
Like Independence, Porter Ridge also got a great game from a two-way player: Natalya Salo. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Salo was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with five RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Porter Ridge let Hayden Stamey and CJ Moore loose on the outfield. Stamey scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Moore scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Braelyn Bevington, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Independence is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4-1 record this season. As for Porter Ridge, their record is now 12-2.
Independence's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's contest. Independence has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Porter Ridge, though, as they've been averaging only 1. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Independence continue to outrun the ball?
Independence was able to grind out a solid victory over Porter Ridge in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, winning 9-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Independence since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
