The Manatee Hurricanes will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the North Port Bobcats at 7:00 p.m. Manatee is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Manatee was able to grind out a solid win over Braden River, taking the game 9-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Manatee.
Grace Cosby spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Maleah Lowe and Hope Jordan did most of the damage at the plate: Lowe went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a double, while Jordan went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Naomi Oroczo, who scored two runs while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for North Port's offense. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Riverview Sarasota on Wednesday. North Port has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Manatee pushed their record up to 7-3 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs per game. As for North Port, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
North Port's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Manatee has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.7 hits per game. It's a different story for North Port, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 per game. Given Manatee's sizable advantage in that area, North Port will need to find a way to close that gap.
Manatee came out on top in a nail-biter against North Port in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, sneaking past 6-4. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was North Port's Jewelie Vanderkous, who pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off four hits. Now that she won't be playing on Thursday, will it be that much easier for Manatee to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
