Softball Game Preview: Lake Minneola Hawks vs. Forest Wildcats

Lake Minneola is 2-8 against Forest since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Lake Minneola Hawks will venture away from home to square off against the Forest Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. Forest took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Lake Minneola, who comes in off a win.

On Thursday, Lake Minneola beat Lake Weir 5-2.

Kenzie Merkey looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit over four innings pitched.

At the plate, Amaliz Martinez and Erika Longo did most of the damage at the plate: Martinez went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI, while Longo scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Quevedo, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.

Meanwhile, Forest had to hit the road for their first game and it wasn't the result they were hoping for. They lost 10-4 to South Lake on Thursday. The Wildcats have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Rilynn Fountain made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one home run. Another player making a difference was Savannah Langworthy, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one double.

Lake Minneola suffered a grim 18-9 defeat to Forest in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Lake Minneola avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.