The Manatee Hurricanes will head out on the road to take on the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Manatee is headed into the game having just posted their biggest win since April 16, 2024 on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Southeast with a sharp 11-1 victory. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Seminoles recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Max Mullett was incredible, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Bryan Rodriguez was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2.
Manatee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .655. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southeast only posted an OBP of .304.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lakewood Ranch, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They won by a run and slipped past Cardinal Mooney 6-5.
Lakewood Ranch saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Davis Papillon, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Another was Kuwain Claxton, who went 3-for-6 with three RBI.
Manatee's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Lakewood Ranch, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Manatee's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. Manatee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lakewood Ranch, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Manatee continue to outrun the ball?
Manatee couldn't quite finish off Lakewood Ranch in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 and fell 6-4. Can Manatee avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
