The Lake Wales Highlanders will face off against the Eau Gallie Commodores at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Lake Wales comes in on five and Eau Gallie on ten.
Lake Wales is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Satellite. The result was nothing new for the Highlanders, who have now won 16 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Zamirya McBurrows
| 05/12/26 vs Satellite | 1 |
| 05/06/26 vs Citrus | 1 |
| 04/30/26 vs Lake Region | 0 |
| 04/21/26 vs George Jenkins | 1 |
Zamirya McBurrows made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Lake Wales let Kyra Williams and Kailey McRae run wild. Williams went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and one double, while McRae went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs McRae has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Paiten Dunaway, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
Lake Wales was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .478. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Eau Gallie was able to grind out a solid win over Merritt Island on Wednesday, taking the game 5-2.
Jordan Stout was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Stout was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Leah 'Spike' Pechart, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Evie Martin, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Eau Gallie's victory bumped their record up to 23-3. As for Lake Wales, their win bumped their record up to 23-6.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lake Wales hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. However, it's not like Eau Gallie struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lake Wales couldn't quite finish off Eau Gallie when the teams last played back in May of 2025 and fell 3-1. Can the Highlanders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
