Baseball Game Preview: Lecanto Panthers vs. Hernando Leopards

Lecanto is 2-8 against Hernando since February of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Lecanto Panthers will host the Hernando Leopards at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with six defeats in a row, Lecanto turned things around against Cypress Creek on Thursday. They walked away with a 5-1 win over the Coyotes. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

Trey Hendrickson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ryder Pollard, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2. Those hits marked the first that he got this season.

Meanwhile, Hernando entered their tilt with Lecanto on Tuesday with six consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with seven. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Panthers. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Hernando's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of one runs across that stretch. As for Lecanto, their win bumped their record up to 2-7.