The Nease Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Bartram Trail Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Nease earned a 10-5 victory over First Coast. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Buccaneers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Sydney Davis made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Davis was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Miranda Harmon, who scored three runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. Ariona Navarro also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Nease always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Bartram Trail was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Ridgeview, sneaking past 7-6.
Rommeney Patrey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hailey Allen was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-4. Lucie McDonald was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Bartram Trail has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. Nease's record now sits at 2-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nease has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bartram Trail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Nease's way against Bartram Trail in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Nease made off with an 8-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Nease since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
