The Mandarin Mustangs will head out on the road to face off against the Middleburg Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Mandarin will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
Mandarin barely beat Sandalwood the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Mustangs put the hurt on the Saints with a sharp 11-2 win on Thursday. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by six runs or more this season.
McKenna Tucker
| 04/03/25 vs Sandalwood | 4 |
| 03/18/25 @ Bolles | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Clay | 1 |
| 03/27/25 @ Christ's Church Academy | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ Atlantic Coast | 1 |
McKenna Tucker made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off eight hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (four). She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Ryleigh Booth and MaKayla Oxley did most of the damage at the plate: Booth went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Oxley went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Booth is on a roll when it comes to hits, as she's now got three or more in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Ava Carter, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Mandarin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 11 runs the game before, Middleburg was a bit more limited in their match on Thursday. They took a 4-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of Wakulla.
Middleburg saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mallory Ficklin, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple marked the first that Ficklin hit this season.
Middleburg has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-6 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Mandarin, their record now sits at 9-7.
Both Mandarin and Middleburg just can't seem to miss. The Mustangs have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.1 hits per game. However, it's not like Middleburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mandarin might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Middleburg in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
