After both having extra time off, the Florida Christian Patriots and the Somerset Academy Panthers will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Florida Christian is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Florida Christian's usually-dominant pitching crew will be looking to make up for Thursday's struggle, when Coral Reef hitters got past them. Florida Christian lost 11-5 to Coral Reef last Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Patriots have suffered since April 6, 2024.
Florida Christian saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shaun Fernandez, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI. That's the most RBI Fernandez has posted since back in February. Emma Medina was another, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.
Meanwhile, Somerset Academy never let their opponents score last Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Palmetto. The result was nothing new for Somerset Academy, who have now won four games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Katie Bailey was a standout: she scored a run while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Sanchez, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Somerset Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Somerset Academy pushed their record up to 6-4-1 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Florida Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-5.
Florida Christian's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's match. Florida Christian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Somerset Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Florida Christian continue to outrun the ball?
Florida Christian was able to grind out a solid victory over Somerset Academy when the teams last played back in March of 2023, winning 6-1. Will Florida Christian repeat their success, or does Somerset Academy has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
