The Sterling Tigers will take on the Strasburg Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.
Sterling took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged Resurrection Christian out 13-12.
Makenzie Beck was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Haylee Lambert, who scored three runs while going 3-for-5.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Sterling was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .471. That's a new trend for them: their average batting average was 0% earlier this season, but in their last five matches they've averaged 32.5%.
Meanwhile, Strasburg came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Rebels 12-2. The Indians might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by seven runs or more this season.
Kailey Rushman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double.
In other batting news, Addi Kent was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Wynne Winter, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Sterling's record is now 6-7-2. As for Strasburg, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Sterling hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of 0. However, it's not like Strasburg struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sterling came up short against Strasburg in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, falling 5-2. Can Sterling avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps