Mainland is 1-9 against Pine Ridge since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Buccaneers will head out on the road to square off against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Mainland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
Mainland took a nine-run defeat the last time they faced off against University, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Buccaneers skirted past the Titans 9-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Buccaneers have posted since February 25th.
Jordan Payne
| 04/08/25 vs University | 3 |
| 03/25/25 @ Orlando Christian Prep | 3 |
| 02/20/25 vs Matanzas | 3 |
| 03/27/25 vs Father Lopez | 2 |
| 03/04/25 @ Atlantic | 2 |
| + 1 more games |
The team relied heavily on Jordan Payne, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3. He has become a key player for Mainland: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Allen, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Pine Ridge was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They lost 11-1 to New Smyrna Beach. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Panthers couldn't push the score so high this time.
Pine Ridge saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Abiezer Robledo, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Mainland now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Pine Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-8-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mainland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pine Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mainland couldn't quite finish off Pine Ridge in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 9-7. Can the Buccaneers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
