The Manatee Hurricanes will face off against the Northeast Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Manatee barely beat Loudon the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Hurricanes were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Redskins on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Hurricanes, who have now won eight games by six runs or more so far this season.
Steven Williams
| 04/11/25 @ Loudon | 7 |
| 03/18/25 vs Port Charlotte | 5 |
| 02/25/25 @ DeSoto County | 5 |
| 03/25/25 vs Cardinal Mooney | 3 |
| 03/11/25 vs Maryville | 3 |
Steven Williams looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, Bryan Rodriguez was a standout: he scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in March. Ashton Hovda was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Manatee always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Loudon only posted an OBP of .250.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Northeast rose to the challenge on Monday. They never let the Patriots get on the board and left with a 6-0 win. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Patriots recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
The result came thanks to Connor Weldon's shutout, as he gave up just four hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Michael Marley was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Rodriquez, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Manatee has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northeast, the victory got them back to even at 12-12.
Northeast's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Manatee has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. It's a different story for Northeast, though, as they've only averaged .339. Will they be able to contain Manatee's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
