Mount Dora hasn't had much luck against Eustis recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Mount Dora Hurricanes are taking a road trip to take on the Eustis Panthers at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Mount Dora was handed a 12-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Umatilla, sneaking past 3-2. The victory was some much needed relief for the Hurricanes as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
KALEIGH CASEY
| 02/27/25 @ Umatilla | 12 |
| 02/25/25 vs Apopka | 5 |
| 02/21/25 vs Winter Springs | 3 |
| 02/18/25 vs South Lake | 16 |
| 02/14/25 @ Tavares | 1 |
KALEIGH CASEY spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game.
At the plate, Mount Dora's win was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was ADDISON GANUS, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that GANUS launched this season.
Meanwhile, Eustis put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Leesburg a 19-0 shutout. Considering the Panthers have won three contests by more than 11 runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Brooke Mansfield looked comfortable as she struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts.
On the hitting side, Emmy Luke was a standout: she fired off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrianna Covino, who scored four runs and stole four bases while going 4-for-4.
Eustis kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Eustis' victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 4-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 15.3 runs. As for Mount Dora, their record is now 2-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mount Dora has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Eustis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mount Dora suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Eustis in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Mount Dora avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
