Vanguard hasn't had much luck against Gainesville recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Vanguard Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Gainesville Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
On Friday, Vanguard came up short against Belleview and fell 9-5.
Jaelynn Whipple made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Riley Arnold also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Gainesville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss dating back to last season. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 7-6 heartbreaker at the hands of Santa Fe. One positive for the Hurricanes, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
McKenna O'Sullivan put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, Madisyn Gillins was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Braylin Cook, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and three RBI.
Even though they lost, Gainesville lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Gainesville's defeat dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Vanguard, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
Vanguard suffered a grim 15-8 defeat to Gainesville in their previous matchup back in May of 2022. Will Vanguard have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
