Softball Game Preview: Palatka Panthers vs. Orange Park Raiders

The Palatka Panthers will challenge the Orange Park Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Palatka has five straight wins, Orange Park has three straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Orange Park's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Palatka hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand Interlachen a 10-0 shutout on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won nine contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Kiley Wilkinson was a standout: she scored a run while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Cali Taylor, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Wilkinson wasn't the only one making solid contact: Palatka kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. The Panthers are a perfect 10-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, Orange Park lost 14-4 to Beachside on Wednesday.

Addison Toledo made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and three runs. That home run was her first of the season.

Palatka's victory bumped their record up to 12-10. As for Orange Park, their loss dropped their record down to 3-15.

Orange Park's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Palatka has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Orange Park, though, as they've been averaging 11.2 hits. Given Palatka's sizable advantage in that area, the Raiders will need to find a way to close that gap.

Palatka took their win against Orange Park in their previous matchup back in February by a conclusive 11-1 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.