The Lecanto Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Montverde Academy Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Lecanto took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Forest, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 7-6 on Tuesday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Panthers as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Abigail Males spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six runs (all of which were unearned) on eight hits and racked up 11 Ks.
Justeen Wilson
| 04/22/25 vs Forest | 2 |
| 04/11/25 @ Sunlake | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Central | 1 |
| 03/14/25 @ The Villages Charter | 1 |
| 03/07/25 @ Central | 1 |
On the hitting side, Lecanto let Shawna Griffin and Justeen Wilson run wild. Griffin went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Wilson got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs. Those two runs gave Wilson a new career-high. Kierstyn Swayze was another key player, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Montverde Academy entered their tilt with Parrish Community on Tuesday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They came out on top against the Bulls by a score of 7-2. Seven seems to be a good number for the Eagles as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Nevaeh Williams tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 17 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Addison Poe, who went 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one home run the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Leila Susaia, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Montverde Academy pushed their record up to 22-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Lecanto, their record is now 9-14.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lecanto has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Montverde Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Lecanto suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Montverde Academy in their previous meeting back in April of 2022. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
