Baseball Preview: Eustis Panthers vs. Apopka Blue Darters
Eustis is 0-4 against Apopka since February of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Eustis Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Apopka Blue Darters at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Wednesday, Eustis had just enough and edged Mount Dora out 5-4. The win was just what Eustis needed coming off of an 11-5 defeat in their prior match.
Julien Radcliffe made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Radcliffe was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and an RBI.
In other pitching news, Eustis got a great performance from Braeden Barnes as he pitched five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Barnes has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Radcliffe wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Couper Gatch, who went 1-for-2 with a stolen base and an RBI. Ledger Pleasant was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Apopka put the finishing touches on their fifth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They blew past Eustis 11-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Apopka.
Tyler Spaid looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk).
On the hitting side, Jackson Adams and Reid Taylor did most of the damage at the plate: Adams went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Taylor scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Cody McKinley, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Eustis has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 8-6 record this season. As for Apopka, their victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Eustis has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Apopka struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.1. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Eustis might still be hurting after the 11-5 loss they got from Apopka in their previous matchup on Tuesday. Will Eustis have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
