Palatka hasn't had much luck against Santa Fe recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will face off against the Raiders at 7:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Palatka took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Bartram Trail, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Bears 4-3. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
The team relied heavily on Haleigh Faulkner, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and one double. Whitney Seebacher was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Santa Fe entered their tilt with Gainesville on Thursday with nine consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with ten. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Hurricanes, sneaking past 9-7.
Makenna Payne looked comfortable as she pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Maren Hornsby and J'Lyn Guyden did most of the damage at the plate: Hornsby scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Guyden scored two runs while going 2-for-5. Hornsby is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Juliana Mott, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Santa Fe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in February.
Palatka has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-10 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Santa Fe, they pushed their record up to 15-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palatka hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Santa Fe struggles in that department as they've averaged .364. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palatka suffered a grim 8-0 defeat to Santa Fe when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
