The Palm Harbor University Hurricanes will take on the Newsome Wolves at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Palm Harbor University sitting on six straight victories and Newsome on three.
Palm Harbor University picked up another tournament win on Friday. They blew past Sickles 11-3. Considering the Hurricanes have won eight matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ella Gill made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Gill was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run.
In other batting news, Emma Shipley was excellent, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Mylie Stout, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Palm Harbor University was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .316 or higher in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Newsome was able to grind out a solid win over Sarasota on Friday, taking the game 8-3.
Allyson Conner spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Newsome let Emily Grooms and Sarai Nicholas run wild. Grooms scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4, while Nicholas scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases Nicholas has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Arriana N Williams, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Palm Harbor University's victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Newsome, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.
Saturday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Palm Harbor University hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. However, it's not like Newsome struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palm Harbor University skirted past Newsome 6-4 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will Palm Harbor University repeat their success, or does Newsome have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
