Apopka hasn't had much luck against Lake Brantley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Blue Darters will square off against the Patriots at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Apopka comes in on 11 and Lake Brantley on nine.
Apopka is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They won by a run and slipped past Seminole 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Darters have posted against the Seminoles since April 8, 2016.
The team relied heavily on Skyla Durand, who went 1-for-2 with one home run. Riley Ford was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Lake Brantley made easy work of Lake Mary on Wednesday and carried off a 14-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won 11 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Auriana Turner was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Rylin Sprague, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Lake Brantley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in eight consecutive contests.
Apopka's victory bumped their record up to 21-4. As for Lake Brantley, their win bumped their record up to 22-3.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Apopka hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .423. However, it's not like Lake Brantley struggles in that department as they've averaged .359. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Apopka came up short against Lake Brantley in their previous matchup back in March, falling 5-1. Can the Blue Darters avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
