Ponce De Leon hasn't had much luck against Cottondale recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Ponce De Leon Pirates will be playing at home against the Cottondale Hornets at 6:00 p.m. Ponce De Leon knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Cottondale likes a good challenge.
On Friday, Ponce De Leon made easy work of Gadsden County and carried off a 22-1 win. Considering the Pirates have won three matchups by more than 15 runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Braiden Yates was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Caden Morris, who scored three runs and stole Two bases. while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Ponce De Leon was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .387 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Cottondale posted their closest victory since May 2, 2024 on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over Sneads. The victory continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won four in a row.
Lane Johnson was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Conner Barton, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Jaydon Gray, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Ponce De Leon's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Cottondale, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ponce De Leon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Cottondale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Ponce De Leon came up short against Cottondale in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, falling 11-6. Will Ponce De Leon have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
