Bay and Rutherford are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2021, but likely not for long. The Tornadoes will square off against the Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bay is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 29-1 margin over Gadsden County. The Tornadoes' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Camdyn Havel
| 04/15/25 vs Gadsden County | 4 |
| 04/02/25 vs Rutherford | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Indianapolis Arsenal Technical | 2 |
| 03/10/25 vs Bozeman | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Rutherford | 2 |
Camdyn Havel was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with five runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Fuentes, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Bay always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .698. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Tuesday Rutherford sidestepped North Bay Haven Academy for a 2-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Rams in their matchups with the Buccaneers: they've now won four in a row.
Tyler Harry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up nine Ks. He has become a key player for Rutherford: the team is 5-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-11 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Douglas Maldonado Romero, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
Rutherford's record now sits at 10-12. As for Bay, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 14-10 record.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bay has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Rutherford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bay came out on top in a nail-biter against Rutherford when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tornadoes since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
