The Branford Buccaneers are taking a road trip to face off against the Gainesville Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Branford is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
While Branford didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They had just enough and edged out Fort White 5-4 on Monday.
Jackson Skinner made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those zero hits allowed gave him a new career-low. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played.
Patrick Williams
| 03/04/25 vs Hamilton County | 3 |
| 02/28/25 vs St. John Lutheran | 3 |
| 02/18/25 @ Bronson | 3 |
| 02/14/25 vs Crescent City | 3 |
| 03/10/25 @ Fort White | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Patrick Williams, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He has become a key player for Branford: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Troy Roberts, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Gainesville narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Saint Francis Catholic 7-5. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Wolves recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Juan Roman tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Connor Kemph was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Chase Emmanuel also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Gainesville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Branford pushed their record up to 8-4 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Gainesville, their record is now 5-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Branford has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gainesville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Branford couldn't quite finish off Gainesville when the teams last played two weeks ago and fell 7-5. Can Branford avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
