Sunlake has won four straight games at home, while Hernando has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Seahawks will welcome the Leopards at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Sunlake 3.5, Hernando 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Sunlake barely beat Sickles the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Seahawks never let the Gryphons get on the board and left with a 7-0 victory on Wednesday. The Seahawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Sydney Walker's shutout, as she gave up just five hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Emily Ward, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Lively, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Hernando narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Nature Coast Tech 8-6.
Kaitlyn Carter spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on 12 hits.
On the hitting side, Ammarae Easton and Aubrey Knierim did most of the damage at the plate: Easton went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Knierim scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Those four runs gave Knierim a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Murphi Blade, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
Hernando 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 eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Hernando is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Sunlake, their win bumped their record up to 15-7.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Sunlake hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Hernando struggles in that department as they've averaged .336. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sunlake might still be hurting after the 9-0 defeat they got from Hernando in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. Will the Seahawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
