Preview: Yulee Hornets vs. Keystone Heights Indians
The Yulee Hornets will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Keystone Heights Indians at 6:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Yulee: 4.1, Keystone Heights: 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
In what's become a running theme this season, Yulee gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They never let Eagle's View onto the board and left with a 15-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for Yulee.
Preston Matricardi and Landis Pickett made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Matricardi struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Pickett tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Matricardi has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Matricardi scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while Pickett scored a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Amauri Goff was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Tripp Hannah was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Keystone Heights came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.1 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 8-5.
The team relied heavily on Kenneth Guy, who scored four runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Austin Smith, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Yulee is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. As for Keystone Heights, they pushed their record up to 8-1 with that win, which was their fourth straight on the road.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Yulee has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Keystone Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.6 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Yulee's way against Keystone Heights when the teams last played back in April of 2023 as Yulee made off with a 10-4 victory. Does Yulee have another victory up their sleeve, or will Keystone Heights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
