The Santa Fe Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the Columbia Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Santa Fe will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
Santa Fe's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They were the clear victors by an 8-0 margin over Palatka. The Raiders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by eight runs or more this season.
Makenna Payne
| 03/28/25 @ Palatka | 8 |
| 03/13/25 @ Bartram Trail | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Williston | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Bell | 6 |
| 02/28/25 @ Suwannee | 6 |
| + 4 more games |
The result came thanks to Makenna Payne's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in February.
On the hitting side, J'Lyn Guyden was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. Madolyn Jablonski also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Guyden wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Santa Fe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Columbia, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 victory over Keystone Heights on Friday.
The team relied heavily on Sakiya Merriex, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Anna Dansby, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Columbia is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. Santa Fe's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-1.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Fe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .358. However, it's not like Columbia struggles in that department as they've averaged .312. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Santa Fe took their win against Columbia when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 10-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Santa Fe since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
