Santa Fe is 8-2 against Palatka since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Raiders will host the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Santa Fe will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.
On Thursday, Santa Fe sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 victory over Gainesville.
Makenna Payne looked comfortable as she pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Maren Hornsby
| 04/10/25 @ Gainesville | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Lafayette | 2 |
| 04/01/25 @ Columbia | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Palatka | 1 |
On the hitting side, Santa Fe let Maren Hornsby and J'Lyn Guyden run wild. Hornsby scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Guyden scored two runs while going 2-for-5. Hornsby is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Madisen Crosby was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Santa Fe was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .432. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Gainesville only posted a batting average of .231.
Meanwhile, Palatka hadn't done well against Bartram Trail recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Bears 4-3. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Haleigh Faulkner was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and one double. Another player making a difference was Whitney Seebacher, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Palatka is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.5 runs over those games. As for Santa Fe, they pushed their record up to 15-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road.
Santa Fe's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's match. The Raiders have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Palatka, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Santa Fe continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Santa Fe's way against Palatka when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Santa Fe made off with an 8-0 win. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
