The Hernando Leopards will challenge The Villages Charter Buffalo at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Hernando has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Hernando is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over North Marion.
Michael Saltsman looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Kaine Ellis
| 04/24/25 vs North Marion | 3 |
| 05/11/24 @ Nature Coast Tech | 2 |
| 04/02/25 @ Mitchell | 1 |
| 03/27/25 @ Bishop McLaughlin Catholic | 1 |
| 03/18/25 vs East Lake | 1 |
At the plate, Kaine Ellis was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three runs. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Palmer Looper, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.
Palatka typically has all the answers at home, but on Tuesday The Villages Charter proved too difficult a challenge. They blew past the Panthers 10-2. The Buffalo might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 15 contests by six runs or more this season.
The team relied heavily on Logan Godwin, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Torin Foley was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
The Villages Charter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palatka only managed five hits.
The Villages Charter has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Hernando, their victory bumped their record up to 16-13.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hernando has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like The Villages Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
