The Leon Lions will head out on the road to take on the Florida State University High School Seminoles at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Leon is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Jefferson County a 31-0 shutout on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Taylor Winfield made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Winfield was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing Three bases. while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. She also put up an RBI, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Jailyn Nickeo was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing Six bases. while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Cynthia Conte was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple.
Leon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .829. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Jefferson County only posted an OBP of .438.
Meanwhile, Florida State University High School made easy work of FAMU DRS on Wednesday and carried off a 15-0 victory. Considering the Seminoles have won four contests by more than 13 runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Preslee Donaldson was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Donaldson was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ansley Hurst, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kayla Sutton, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 1-for-3.
Leon's record now sits at 6-2. As for Florida State University High School, their record now sits at 5-2.
Leon's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. Leon has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Florida State University High School, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Leon continue to outrun the ball?
Leon might still be hurting after the 12-0 loss they got from Florida State University High School in their previous meeting back in April of 2021. Can Leon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
