Mulberry hasn't had much luck against McKeel Academy recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Panthers will square off against the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Mulberry is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand King an 18-0 shutout. 18 seems to be a good number for the Panthers as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Lylah Jones and Lorianys Castanon Cruz did most of the damage at the plate: Jones went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Castanon Cruz went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that Jones has hit this season. Kensingten Danforth was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Mulberry always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .852. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask McKeel Academy). They were the clear victors by a 19-0 margin over Tenoroc on Monday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Emma Skipper was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Chloe Witmer looked comfortable as she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, McKeel Academy let Monica Tillery and Chloe Lanier run wild. Tillery went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Lanier went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave Tillery a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Brianna Shelley, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Mulberry is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-10 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for McKeel Academy, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-11.
Mulberry might still be hurting after the 9-3 defeat they got from McKeel Academy in their previous matchup on April 10th. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
