Mount Dora is 2-8 against Eustis since April of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Hurricanes will challenge the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Last Thursday, Mount Dora got the win against Atlantic by a conclusive 8-1. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Sharks recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Jacob James was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Macinness, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Eustis rose to the challenge on Monday. They never let the Fightin' Tigers get on the board and left with a 15-0 win. The Panthers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Sean Griffin looked comfortable as he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). He has become a key player for Eustis: the team is 5-2 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 8-9 otherwise.
At the plate, Jacob Lucroy was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Couper Gatch, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Eustis kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Mount Dora's victory bumped their record up to 17-7. As for Eustis, they moved to 13-11 with that win, which also ended their six-game losing streak.
Mount Dora was able to grind out a solid victory over Eustis when the teams last played two weeks ago, winning 5-0. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
