It may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Hardee ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over the DeSoto County Bulldogs. This was payback for the Wildcats, who suffered a 3-2 loss the last time these two teams met.
Gaige Cartwright made a splash no matter where he played. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Cartwright was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
Ryan Rivas
| 02/26/26 @ DeSoto County | 5 |
| 02/18/26 vs Frostproof | 3 |
| 02/24/26 vs Babcock | 2 |
| 02/16/26 vs LaBelle | 2 |
| 02/03/26 vs Fort Meade | 2 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryan Rivas, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, one run, and one double. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Leo Marrero, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and one double.
Hardee kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Hardee has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for DeSoto County, the defeat snapped their winning streak at four games and leaves them with a 6-2 record.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hardee will challenge Fort Meade at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for DeSoto County, they will square off against Cape Coral at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
