The Raines Vikings are taking a road trip to square off against the Duval Charter Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Raines has struggled recently with six losses in a row, while Duval Charter will arrive with three straight wins.
Raines fell victim to Harvest Community and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They lost 17-0 to the Warriors. The matchup marked the first time this year in which the Vikings were not able to get on the board.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Duval Charter ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Bradford 6-5.
Samuel Palencia made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over 6.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Tanner Williams was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Connor Portelli, who went 3-for-5 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Duval Charter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Raines' defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Duval Charter, their record now sits at 5-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Raines has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Duval Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Raines skirted past Duval Charter 12-10 in their previous matchup back in May of 2019. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
