vs
| 04/11/25 - Away | 5-16 L |
| 02/28/25 - Home | 4-11 L |
| 05/08/24 - Home | 8-4 W |
| 05/02/24 - Neutral | 6-4 W |
| 03/08/24 - Away | 14-4 W |
| + 5 more games |
Hardee and Lemon Bay are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Wildcats will face off against the Manta Rays at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Hardee 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 10-9 victory over DeSoto County. Surprisingly, this marked the Wildcats' third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
The team relied heavily on Lunna Guajardo, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Saydee Herrera, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Hardee hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Lemon Bay can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Booker. The result was nothing new for the Manta Rays, who have now won eight games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Certayn Legg looked comfortable as she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Stormi Reed was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Another player making a difference was Karoline Kastor, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs.
The win got Lemon Bay back to even at 10-10. As for Hardee, their victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-16.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hardee hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .312. However, it's not like Lemon Bay struggles in that department as they've averaged .352. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hardee might still be hurting after the 16-5 loss they got from Lemon Bay in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Wildcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
