The South Sumter Raiders will face off against the Eustis Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
South Sumter barely beat Springstead the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Raiders' pitchers stepped up to hand the Eagles an 8-0 shutout on Tuesday. Considering the Raiders have won four contests by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jeffrey Myers
| 02/11/26 vs Trinity Catholic | 2 |
| 02/13/26 vs Dunnellon | 1 |
| 02/06/26 vs Dunnellon | 1 |
Jeffrey Myers tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over six innings pitched. He also allowed no hits, which is notable because South Sumter is 4-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 1-2 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ismael Rodriguez, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Tyson Lake was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Eustis made easy work of Mount Dora on Wednesday and carried off a 9-1 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Braeden Barnes was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, earning one RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Ethan Jackson was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
South Sumter's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Eustis, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. South Sumter has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eustis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
South Sumter might still be hurting after the 10-3 loss they got from Eustis when the teams last played back in May of 2022. Will the Raiders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
