Raiders
| 04/29/25 vs Immokalee | 7 |
| 04/23/25 @ Lemon Bay | 5 |
| 04/22/25 @ Barron Collier | 5 |
| 04/15/25 @ Fort Myers | 6 |
| 04/14/25 vs Cape Coral | 6 |
| + 18 more games |
The Riverdale Raiders will challenge the Gulf Coast Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Riverdale is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
Riverdale is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 victory over Immokalee. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won three in a row.
Adrianna Manetta made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Manetta was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ella Bundy, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Jamie Marie Penia, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast entered their tilt with Palmetto Ridge on Tuesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They walked away with a 5-1 victory over the Bears.
Like Riverdale, Gulf Coast also got a great game from a two-way player: Taylor Stalling. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Stalling was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her three plate appearances with three runs.
Stalling wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Emma Caetano, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Gulf Coast pushed their record up to 19-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.4 runs over those games. As for Riverdale, their win bumped their record up to 14-9.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Riverdale hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Gulf Coast struggles in that department as they've averaged .333. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Riverdale couldn't quite get it done against Gulf Coast in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 8-5. Can the Raiders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
