Gainesville is 9-1 against Vanguard since February of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Hurricanes will host the Knights at 7:00 p.m. Gainesville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Gainesville had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Newberry on Friday. The Hurricanes were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Panthers. The victory continues a trend for the Hurricanes in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won three in a row.
Leanna Bourdage
| 04/18/25 vs Newberry | 6 |
| 04/08/25 vs Buchholz | 0 |
| 05/24/24 vs Parrish Community | 7 |
McKenna O'Sullivan and Leanna Bourdage made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, O'Sullivan pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Meanwhile, Bourdage struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in May of 2024. At bat, O'Sullivan got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI, while Bourdage went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lana Renicks, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Vanguard came out on top against Trinity Catholic on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Knights took their game against the Celtics 5-1.
Hannah Davis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up 17 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Destiny Horcajo was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Alivia Vance, who went 1-for-3 with five stolen bases and one run.
Vanguard is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Gainesville, their victory bumped their record up to 12-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Gainesville hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Vanguard struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.8 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Gainesville took their win against Vanguard when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 7-1 score. Do the Hurricanes have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Knights turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
