Hollins is 0-4 against East Lake since April of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Royals will head out to face off against the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hollins barely beat St. Petersburg the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Royals never let the Green Devils get on the board and left with a 17-0 win on Thursday. Winning may never get old, but the Royals sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Shayla Query and Paige Westerfield made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Query tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Westerfield tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Query has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Query went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Westerfield went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that Query has launched this season.
In other batting news, Chloe Monnell and Gianna Close did most of the damage at the plate: Monnell went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI, while Close went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was Monnell's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Aubree Van Epps, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Hollins always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .783. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask East Lake). Everything went their way against Seminole on Thursday as they made off with an 18-3 victory. The win continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Warhawks: they've now won three in a row.
Anna Folger was a major factor no matter where she played. She tossed four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. Folger was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Lucy Mondok was incredible, firing off three home runs and eight RBI while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Meagan Bostak was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
East Lake's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Hollins, their record is now 10-8.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hollins hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .405. However, it's not like East Lake struggles in that department as they've averaged .370. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hollins might still be hurting after the 13-0 defeat they got from East Lake when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Can the Royals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
