The Bradenton Christian Panthers will take on the Saint Stephen's Episcopal Falcons at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Bradenton Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Admiral Farragut a 15-0 shutout. The win was familiar territory for the Panthers, who have now won three contests in a row.
Sofia Puccia was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Stanley, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Saint Stephen's Episcopal had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Sarasota Christian on Tuesday.
Abbie Eanet was a major factor no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Eanet was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Rylan Goar was a standout: she got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one double. Another player making a difference was Alcie Despard, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Saint Stephen's Episcopal hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive matchups.
Bradenton Christian pushed their record up to 7-10 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Saint Stephen's Episcopal, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Bradenton Christian took their win against Saint Stephen's Episcopal in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 8-1 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Falcons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
