The Horizon Hawks will challenge the Apopka Blue Darters at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five defeats in a row, Horizon turned things around against Cypress Creek on Monday. They walked away with a 9-4 win over the Bears.
The team relied heavily on Denver Patton, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Jose Massanet was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.
Horizon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Apopka, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand University a 12-0 shutout on Tuesday. Considering the Blue Darters have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Connor McAfee looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Timothy (Jez) Hamrick was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Collin VanFleet, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Apopka is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Horizon, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Horizon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Apopka struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Horizon might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Apopka when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will the Hawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
