For the first time this season, Nease will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will host the First Coast Buccaneers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Nease is coming into the contest on a four-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Nease came into this matchup off a tough 11-run defeat on Thursday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of St. Augustine by a score of 9-7 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Panthers have suffered since March 26, 2025.
Caeden Dye was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out ten batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits.
At the plate, Damian Smith made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs and one double. Braylon Morgan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for First Coast, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Fletcher 3-1.
Kyler Long tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over 5.1 innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Cam Allen was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that he has brought in this season.
First Coast pushed their record up to 3-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Nease, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nease has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like First Coast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Nease beat First Coast 4-0 in their previous matchup back in March of 2025. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Buccaneers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
