The South Sumter Raiders will challenge the Belleview Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last three games South Sumter has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
South Sumter took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Hernando, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. South Sumter had just enough and edged out Hernando 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Raiders have posted against the Leopards since April 7, 2022.
Cody Deason was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Deason was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two RBI.
In other pitching news, South Sumter got a great performance from Bryson Mitchell as he pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Those hits were Mitchell's first of the season.
Deason wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Tyson Lake, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. That stolen base marked the first that Lake snagged this season. Another was Luis Quintana, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Belleview fell victim to Vanguard and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Knights, falling 6-0. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Rattlers' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
South Sumter pushed their record up to 8-2 with the win, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.9 runs over those games. As for Belleview, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 7-5.
South Sumter took their victory against Belleview when the teams last played back in February by a conclusive 7-1. Will South Sumter repeat their success, or does Belleview have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
