Fort White hasn't had much luck against Baker County recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Indians will face off against the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Fort White 2.1, Baker County 2.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Fort White's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Williston, sneaking past 1-0. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Red Devils recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Not much got past Kadence Compton, who gave up just four hits to keep Williston off the board. Compton has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Fort White saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hannah LeBleu, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
The home team had won the previous six meetings between Baker County and Baldwin, and Baker County kept the tradition alive. The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Indians 5-4.
Rylee Walker looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Baker County let Baleigh Shields and Mallory Jackson run wild. Shields went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI, while Jackson scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases Jackson has posted since back in March of 2024. Kentlee Payne also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Baker County's win was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-2-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.8 runs over those games. As for Fort White, their record now sits at 12-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Fort White has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Baker County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Fort White came up short against Baker County in their previous matchup back in March, falling 3-0. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
