Nease hasn't had much luck against Clay recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Panthers will host the Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Nease took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Creekside, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Knights 4-2. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly two runs.
Damian Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season.
John Gerosa
| 03/10/26 vs Creekside | 2 |
| 03/06/26 vs Oakleaf | 1 |
| 02/26/26 @ Fleming Island | 1 |
| 02/24/26 @ Union County | 1 |
| 02/18/26 vs St. Augustine | 1 |
In other batting news, John Gerosa and Alex Davis did most of the damage at the plate: Gerosa got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base, while Davis went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI. Those two runs gave Gerosa a new career-high.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Clay). Their pitcher stepped up to hand Middleburg a 13-0 shutout on Friday. The Blue Devils haven't had any issues with the Broncos recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
JC Rosette was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. He has become a key player for Clay: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-6 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Caden Looney, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Clay always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Middleburg only posted an OBP of .167.
Nease's win bumped their record up to 3-7. As for Clay, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nease has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Clay struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Nease might still be hurting after the 11-0 defeat they got from Clay in their previous matchup back in February of 2025. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
