Rickards hasn't had much luck against Leon recently, but that could start to change on Friday. Rickards will welcome Leon at 5:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Rickards will bounce into Friday's matchup after beating Florida State University High School, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. Rickards narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Florida State University High School 16-15. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted since March 4th.
Troy Williams was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances.
Chris Turner
| 03/25/25 vs Florida State University High School | 4 |
| 03/20/25 vs Jefferson County | 3 |
| 03/06/25 @ Gadsden County | 3 |
| 02/29/24 @ Jefferson County | 3 |
| 03/13/25 @ Bay | 2 |
In other batting news, Chris Turner was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Jahmir Williams was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Rickards always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Leon never let their opponents score on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over Godby. The result was nothing new for the Lions, who have now won nine contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Rickards, Leon also got a great game from a two-way player: Kolbe Baker. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. Baker was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Leon let Baker Safley and Jacob Strunk run wild. Safley scored two runs while going 1-for-4, while Strunk scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Leon is 8-1 when Safley posts two or more runs, but 3-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden McNeill, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI.
Rickards' victory bumped their record up to 5-11. As for Leon, their win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Rickards has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Leon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Rickards might still be hurting after the 9-0 loss they got from Leon in their previous matchup back in February. Will Rickards have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
