The Fleming Island Golden Eagles will square off against the Middleburg Broncos at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Fleming Island is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Ridgeview an 8-0 shutout. The victory was nothing new for the Golden Eagles as they're now sitting on six straight.
The result came thanks to Mallory Blackwell's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Fleming Island let Ashlyn Madine and Anisten Kurlander run wild. Madine went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, while Kurlander went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Emma Massey, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Fleming Island kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Middleburg made easy work of Orange Park on Monday and carried off an 11-0 win. The Broncos haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Middleburg also got a great performance from Karleigh Sanford as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave Sanford a new career-high.
At the plate, Emma Ward was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Mika Wesley, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Fleming Island's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Middleburg, their record is now 17-8.
Both Fleming Island and Middleburg just can't seem to miss. The Golden Eagles have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. However, it's not like Middleburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fleming Island couldn't quite get it done against Middleburg when the teams last played back in April of 2023 as they fell 3-0. Can the Golden Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
