Leesburg has enjoyed the comforts of home their last three games, but now they'll head out on the road. They will challenge the Belleview Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Two weeks ago, Leesburg made easy work of Lake Weir and carried off an 8-1 victory. The win was just what Leesburg needed coming off of an 8-2 loss in their prior game.
Braylin Cronin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 15 Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Malachi Hepburn, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Aiden Sustarsic, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Belleview gave their fans yet another huge victory on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Lake Weir a 13-0 shutout. While fans of Belleview might be used to big wins, the 13-run margin marked the team's biggest win yet this season.
Ethan Gifford was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits over five innings pitched. Gifford was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shea Young, who scored a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Gilbehert Mendoza was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Leesburg's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-6. As for Belleview, their record is now 7-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Leesburg has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Belleview struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Leesburg came out on top in a nail-biter against Belleview in their previous meeting back in April of 2021, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Leesburg since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
