Eustis is on an eight-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Pine Ridge is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. We've got a battle between Panthers coming up. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Eustis 3.8, Pine Ridge 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Eustis easily dispatched Tavares on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Eustis fell just short of Deltona by a score of 8-6 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Panthers have suffered since April 5, 2024.
Ethan Jackson was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in February. The team also got some help courtesy of Couper Gatch, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pine Ridge posted their closest win since March 15, 2024 on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Lake Mary 4-3.
Ben Clupper tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in February.
At the plate, Christopher Kable was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Gabriel Gonzalez, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Pine Ridge has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. Eustis' loss dropped their record down to 12-6.
Pine Ridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Eustis hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .343. It's a different story for Pine Ridge, though, as they've only averaged .246. Will they be able to contain Eustis' hitters?
Eustis beat Pine Ridge 7-3 in their previous meeting back in February. Does Eustis have another victory up their sleeve, or will Pine Ridge turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
