The Santa Fe Raiders will challenge the Palatka Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Santa Fe is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Eastside get on the board and left with a 16-0 victory. The high-scoring effort was just what the Raiders needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Makenna Payne looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Maren Hornsby
| 04/29/25 vs Eastside | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Fort White | 0 |
| 04/15/25 @ Keystone Heights | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Buchholz | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Palatka | 1 |
| + 13 more games |
On the hitting side, Maren Hornsby was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. Madisen Crosby was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Santa Fe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Palatka came tearing into Tuesday's contest with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Colts as they made off with a 15-0 win.
Charla Griffin made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Griffin was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Zophia Clark was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Abigail Huerta, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Santa Fe has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 15 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Palatka, their win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-10.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Santa Fe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .371. However, it's not like Palatka struggles in that department as they've averaged .359. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
