North Port is 1-8 against North Fort Myers since March of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. North Port will be strutting in after a win while North Fort Myers will be coming in after a loss.
North Port will bounce into Tuesday's contest after beating Manatee, who they had gone 1-6 against in their seven prior meetings. North Port came out on top against Manatee by a score of 9-4 last Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bobcats.
Payson Rumley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on nine hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cailinne Kelly, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Another player making a difference was Hailey Perez, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Kelly wasn't the only one working in the hit department: North Port kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. North Port is a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, North Fort Myers fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Evangelical Christian last Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Sentinels by a score of 9-8. That makes it the first time this season the Red Knights have let down their home crowd.
Kaliyah Williams was huge no matter where she played even without the win. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over eight innings while giving up five earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Williams was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Mia Lane led a balanced group of hitters, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. Abigail Hynes was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
This is the second loss in a row for North Fort Myers and nudges their season record down to 7-2. As for North Port, their victory bumped their record up to 3-4.
North Port's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. North Port has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Fort Myers, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will North Port continue to outrun the ball?
North Port might still be hurting after the 8-2 defeat they got from North Fort Myers in their previous matchup back in February. Will North Port have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
