Softball Recap: The Villages Charter Victorious

While The Villages Charter's win against Lake Minneola wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Buffalo had just enough and edged out the Hawks 4-3 on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Buffalo have posted since February 22nd.

The Villages Charter got a great performance from Haylee Nobles as she pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Nobles has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.

Payton West

Hits (Career)

04/14/25 @ Lake Minneola	3
04/04/25 @ Nature Coast Tech	2
03/15/24 vs Zephyrhills	2
04/08/25 vs Vanguard	1
04/03/25 vs Foundation Academy	1

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Payton West, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lexy Sanchez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.

The Villages Charter pushed their record up to 10-8 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Lake Minneola, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost eight of their last nine contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.

The Villages Charter will be playing at home against Umatilla at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Buffalo's pitchers better be ready for this one: the Bulldogs have averaged an impressive 6.8 runs per game this season. As for Lake Minneola, they will head out to challenge Lake Buena Vista at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.