vs
| 03/28/24 - Home | 14-0 W |
| 02/29/24 - Away | 17-8 W |
| 03/31/23 - Away | 3-4 L |
| 02/28/23 - Home | 5-2 W |
| 05/03/22 - Neutral | 9-8 W |
| + 5 more games |
Santa Fe is 8-2 against Palatka since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. Santa Fe will head out on the road to challenge Palatka at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Palatka will be up against a hot Santa Fe squad: the team just extended their winning streak to six. Everything went Santa Fe's way against Suwannee on Tuesday as Santa Fe made off with a 16-1 win. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for the Raiders this season.
Ryleigh Davis looked comfortable as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Santa Fe got a massive performance out of J'Lyn Guyden, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most hits Guyden has posted since back in February. Callie Blair also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Santa Fe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Suwannee didn't got any hits.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Palatka made sure to put some runs up on the board against North Marion on Thursday. Palatka's pitcher stepped up to hand North Marion an 18-0 shutout. The Panthers have beaten the Colts the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Colts has come to flipping the script.
Lilyann Smith was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Whitney Seebacher, who scored four runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Santa Fe's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-1. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Palatka, their record now sits at 6-7.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Fe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .376. However, it's not like Palatka struggles in that department as they've averaged .331. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Santa Fe's way against Palatka in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Santa Fe made off with a 14-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Santa Fe since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
