The Davenport Broncos are taking a road trip to face off against the Avon Park Red Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Davenport is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Davenport took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Lake Gibson by a score of 9-4. The win continues a trend for the Broncos in their matchups with the Braves: they've now won three in a row.
Ashanti Pagan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Madison Bergeron was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game. Jordyn Duran was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Avon Park hadn't done well against DeSoto County recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Red Devils were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Bulldogs. Considering the Red Devils have won eight matches by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Paisley Macias made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Macias was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kamya Brassell, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Skylar Hicks, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Avon Park always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .576. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive contests.
Avon Park's record is now 10-8. As for Davenport, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Davenport has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Avon Park struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Davenport suffered a grim 12-4 defeat to Avon Park in their previous matchup back in February. Can the Broncos avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
