The Eustis Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Key West Conchs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Eustis is coming into the game on a four-game losing streak.
Things were looking good for Eustis after they put the first runs on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Leesburg by a score of 6-5.
Andrew Walker was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jacob Lucroy, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Key West's hitters rose to the challenge against a Stingarees pitching crew that boasted an average of only 3.57 runs allowed on Saturday. The Conchs walked away with an 11-8 win over Miami. The victory continues a trend for the Conchs in their matchups with the Stingarees: they've now won four in a row.
Vinny Moline looked comfortable as he tossed four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits.
At the plate, Caden Pichardo was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Xavier Perez also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Key West kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive contests.
Key West's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-9. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Eustis, their loss dropped their record down to 12-9.
Eustis' speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. The Panthers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Key West, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Eustis continue to outrun the ball?
Eustis was able to grind out a solid win over Key West when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 5-1. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Conchs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
