The Bonita Springs Bullsharks will head out on the road to take on the Estero Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Estero will be up against a hot Bonita Springs team: the squad just extended their winning streak to five. Bonita Springs was the clear victors by a 15-8 margin over Cape Coral on Thursday. With that victory, the Bullsharks brought their scoring average up to 6.8 runs per game.
Alan Palamino made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. Palamino was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Jhon Rodriquez looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Bonita Springs got a massive performance out of Angel Moreno, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, Moreno posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Derek Hernandez Jr, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Bonita Springs kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.4.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Estero took on Cypress Lake on Thursday. Estero never let Cypress Lake get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Panthers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
The result came thanks to Rylan Stewart's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sandro Hernandez was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one triple. That triple marked the first that he hit this season. Rocco Colombo was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Bonita Springs' win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. As for Estero, their record now sits at 7-3.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bonita Springs has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .431. However, it's not like Estero struggles in that department as they've averaged .434. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bonita Springs came out on top in a nail-biter against Estero in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, sneaking past 3-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Bonita Springs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
