The Coral Reef Barracudas will take on the Palmetto Panthers at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Coral Reef is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They never let Ferguson get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Barracudas considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Quinley Wylie was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Madison Rodriguez, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Chloe Junco, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
Coral Reef always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .680. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ferguson only posted an OBP of .100.
Palmetto never got on the board in their matchup two weeks ago, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against South Dade on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 18-7 margin over the Buccaneers.
Like Coral Reef, Palmetto also got a great game from a two-way player: Lauren Falls. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Falls was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Palmetto got a massive performance out of Madeleine Baldwin, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Jessica Ortiz was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Coral Reef has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Palmetto, their win bumped their record up to 9-12.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Coral Reef hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Palmetto 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.
Coral Reef took their victory against Palmetto when the teams last played two weeks ago by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Barracudas since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
