The Beachside Barracudas will head out on the road to square off against the Nease Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Beachside made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Bolles, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Beachside was the clear victor by a 13-6 margin over Bolles on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Barracudas, who have now won seven matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Kyleigh Kendall was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Tatum Pocol, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Kendall wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Beachside kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in February of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Nease). They put the hurt on St. Augustine with a sharp 14-1 victory on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Panthers with their most commanding win of the season.
The team relied heavily on Miranda Harmon, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and one triple. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Casey Eliason, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple and two RBI.
Beachside has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. Nease's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 4-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Beachside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Nease struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Beachside skirted past Nease 7-6 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Beachside since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
