The Sarasota Sailors will face off against the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Sarasota's victory against Bartow wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Sailors never let the Yellow Jackets get on the board and left with a 1-0 win on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Sailors.
Blake Norman
| 04/04/25 vs Bartow | 6 |
| 04/01/25 @ Venice | 0 |
| 03/28/25 @ Bartow | 5 |
| 03/20/25 vs Lakewood Ranch | 4 |
| 03/14/25 vs South Fort Myers | 1 |
| 03/04/25 @ Manatee | 7 |
Blake Norman tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March.
On the hitting side, Sarasota saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Patrick Drymon, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one double.
Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They had just enough and edged out Berkeley Prep 6-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Hayden Antonelli spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits and racked up seven Ks. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Lakewood Ranch is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 4-14 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Carter Sprague, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Lakewood Ranch's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-1 (and 3-14 when he doesn't). James Butler was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Sarasota pushed their record up to 18-4-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 1.75 runs across that stretch. As for Lakewood Ranch, their win bumped their record up to 6-15.
Sarasota skirted past Lakewood Ranch 2-1 in their previous meeting last Wednesday. Will the Sailors repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
