The Ocoee Knights will challenge the Horizon Hawks at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ocoee was handed a 13-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Innovation 2-1.
Ocoee saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Aiden Mojica, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Horizon hadn't done well against West Orange recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Hawks put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 8-2 win. The Hawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Reid Patton made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Denver Patton tossed a big game, pitching 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February.
Back at the plate, Nico Loaiza was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Anthony Russell III, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Ocoee is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Horizon, their win bumped their record up to 12-7-1.
Ocoee skirted past Horizon 3-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Hawks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
