The St. Brendan Sabres will challenge TERRA Environmental at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. St. Brendan is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, St. Brendan turned things around against Palmer Trinity on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Falcons by a score of 8-5.
Jules Miranda spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Leah Lorenzo, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Gabriella Barrueta, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
St. Brendan was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. They are 9-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for TERRA Environmental, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Everything went their way against Southridge on Thursday as they made off with a 20-6 victory. TERRA Environmental might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Melissa Hernandez made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Hernandez was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, TERRA Environmental got a massive performance out of Rachel Valladares, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with four stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. Valladares also hit a triple, marking her first of the season. Gianna Mantaras was another key player, scoring five runs and stealing three bases while going 4-for-5.
TERRA Environmental's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.0 runs over those games. As for St. Brendan, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Brendan has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like TERRA Environmental struggles in that department as they've averaged .621. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Brendan took their victory against TERRA Environmental when the teams last played back in April of 2021 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Sabres have another victory up their sleeve, or will TERRA Environmental turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
