Plant City hasn't had much luck against George Jenkins recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Plant City Raiders are taking a road trip to face off against the George Jenkins Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Plant City is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Plant City is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let Armwood get on the board and left with a 22-0 victory on Saturday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Kayleigh Gibbs made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. She also put up two doubles, which were her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Samantha Raines, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. She also hit two doubles, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Summer Castro, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Plant City kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive matchups dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, George Jenkins made sure to put some runs up on the board against McKeel Academy on Thursday. George Jenkins blew past McKeel Academy 11-1. Considering the Eagles' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Mackenzie Mathers was a standout: she went 1-for-2 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Jazlyn Duque, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Plant City's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 9 runs. As for George Jenkins, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Plant City's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. Plant City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for George Jenkins, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Plant City continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
