The St. Cloud Bulldogs will challenge the Lake Nona Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Lake Nona will be up against a hot St. Cloud squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 20-9 margin over Apopka on Thursday. That's two games straight that the Bulldogs have won by exactly 11 runs.
Brian Wright looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Sammy Echeverry was incredible, firing off two home runs and seven RBI while going 3-for-4. What's more, he posted two runs, the most he's had since back in February. Another player making a difference was Cole Davis, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and five RBI.
St. Cloud lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Lake Nona had no trouble coming through when it counted. They put the hurt on Poinciana with a sharp 15-1 win on Monday. Winning may never get old, but the Lions sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Tanner Pielock looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Luke Ramsey, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. He has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Fabian Gavalo, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
St. Cloud pushed their record up to 17-6 with the victory, which was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Lake Nona, their victory bumped their record up to 15-10.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. St. Cloud has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Lake Nona struggles in that department as they've averaged .436. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
St. Cloud might still be hurting after the 11-0 loss they got from Lake Nona when the teams last played back in March. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
