The Palm Bay Pirates will take on the Titusville Terriers at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Palm Bay took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cocoa a 15-0 shutout. The matchup marked the Pirates' most dominant win of the season.
Jacob Hines
| 04/04/25 vs Cocoa | 4 |
| 03/17/25 vs Calvary Chapel Academy | 0 |
| 03/06/25 vs Melbourne | 1 |
| 02/20/25 vs Westwood | 5 |
Jacob Hines made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Palm Bay's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 6-8 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Jaymen Myer was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Dustin Young, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Palm Bay always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .690. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Titusville got the win against Palm Bay by a conclusive 8-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Terriers.
Like Palm Bay, Titusville also got a great game from a two-way player: Jesse Decter. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. Decter was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Kyle Cox looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Ryland Nicolaisen and Chase Hill did most of the damage at the plate: Nicolaisen went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double, while Hill scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Nolan Edwards was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Titusville's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-11. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Palm Bay, their victory bumped their record up to 11-8.
Palm Bay's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's contest. The Pirates have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Titusville, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Palm Bay continue to outrun the ball?
Palm Bay suffered a grim 8-2 defeat to Titusville in their previous meeting on Thursday. Will the Pirates have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
