The Mount Dora Hurricanes will venture away from home to take on the Lake Minneola Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Mount Dora was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Leesburg on Tuesday. Mount Dora was the clear victors by a 15-2 margin over Leesburg. That 13 run margin sets a new team best for the Hurricanes this season.
Mount Dora got a great performance from James Carroll as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and not a single walk).
Noah Macinness
| 02/25/25 @ Leesburg | 3 |
| 04/08/24 @ Atlantic | 1 |
| 04/04/24 @ Belleview | 1 |
| 03/26/24 @ Wekiva | 1 |
| 03/21/24 vs Tavares | 1 |
At the plate, Parker Blanton and Noah Macinness did most of the damage at the plate: Blanton went 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one double, while Macinness scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave Macinness a new career-high. Brady Smith was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Mount Dora always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Lake Minneola posted their biggest victory since April 18, 2024 on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Tavares with a sharp 11-1 win. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Hawks' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Brayden Richter looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chase Dougherty, who scored a run while going 3-for-4. He also put up two RBI, which were his first of the season.
Lake Minneola picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 2-3. As for Mount Dora, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mount Dora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lake Minneola struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mount Dora was able to grind out a solid win over Lake Minneola in their previous meeting back in February of 2018, winning 4-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mount Dora since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
