The Braden River Pirates will head out to face off against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lakewood Ranch took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Braden River, who comes in off a win.
Last Friday, Braden River earned an 8-5 win over Manatee. The victory continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Hurricanes: they've now won three in a row.
Rhys Klein spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brayden Sands, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Parker Gabbard also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Braden River was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Palmetto. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Mustangs have suffered since May 2, 2024.
Lakewood Ranch also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Chase Skarbek gave up three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits. Skarbek has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Carter Sprague made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Lakewood Ranch's loss dropped their record down to 5-14. As for Braden River, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.
Braden River beat Lakewood Ranch 5-2 when the teams last played back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
