Vanguard hasn't had much luck against Gainesville recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Knights will head out on the road to face off against the Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. Vanguard's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Gainesville's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Vanguard came out on top against Trinity Catholic on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run third inning. The Knights walked away with a 5-1 win over the Celtics. The victory continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Celtics: they've now won three in a row.
Hannah Davis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up 17 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Destiny Horcajo was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Alivia Vance, who went 1-for-3 with five stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Gainesville got the win against Newberry on Friday by a conclusive 7-1. The Hurricanes might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by six runs or more this season.
McKenna O'Sullivan and Leanna Bourdage made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, O'Sullivan tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits. Meanwhile, Bourdage struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in May of 2024. At the plate, O'Sullivan got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI, while Bourdage went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lana Renicks, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Gainesville is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Vanguard, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-8.
Gainesville's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday. Vanguard has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Gainesville, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 strikeouts. Will Vanguard keep running through batters, or will the Hurricanes buck the trend?
Vanguard suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to Gainesville in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
