South Lake is 8-2 against Tavares since February of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Eagles will welcome the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. South Lake is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.5 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, South Lake earned a 7-3 victory over Dr. Phillips.
Z Siokis was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. South Lake is 4-1 when Siokis allows one or fewer earned runs, but 7-10 otherwise. Siokis was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
D Pina
| 04/08/25 @ Dr. Phillips | 2 |
| 03/10/25 @ University | 2 |
| 02/21/25 vs Leesburg | 2 |
| 02/14/25 vs Belleview | 2 |
| 02/13/25 @ Tavares | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
In other batting news, D Pina was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 4-for-5. He is becoming a predictor of South Lake's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 6-11 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was J Nixon, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Tavares beat First Academy 10-6 on Tuesday. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Like South Lake, Tavares also got a great game from a two-way player: Kyle Dunn. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off five hits. Dunn was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. What's more, he posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in February.
In other batting news, Calvin Hinckley and Jamarcus Pugh did most of the damage at the plate: Hinckley scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Pugh scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. What's more, Pugh posted two RBI, the most he's had since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Jeruel Rivera-Torres, who scored a run and stole two bases.
Tavares always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Tavares' victory bumped their record up to 6-12. As for South Lake, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. South Lake has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tavares struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
South Lake came out on top in a nail-biter against Tavares when the teams last played back in February, sneaking past 13-11. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
