St. John Paul II is 1-9 against North Florida Christian since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Panthers will face off against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. St. John Paul II will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
St. John Paul II is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on FAMU DRS with a sharp 11-1 victory. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by six runs or more this season.
Silas Latimer and Levarius McClure II did most of the damage at the plate: Latimer scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3, while McClure II scored a run while going 2-for-3.
St. John Paul II was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask North Florida Christian). They blew past Wakulla Christian School 13-1 on Tuesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Eagles needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Kyle Estimond made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, North Florida Christian let Jace Riggan and Jack McFarland run wild. Riggan went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while McFarland went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave McFarland a new career-high. Moxon Riggan was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
St. John Paul II has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games. As for North Florida Christian, the victory snapped their losing streak at five games and leaves them with a 9-15 record.
North Florida Christian's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: St. John Paul II has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. It's a different story for North Florida Christian, though, as they've only averaged .347. Will they be able to contain St. John Paul II's hitters?
St. John Paul II came out on top in a nail-biter against North Florida Christian in their previous meeting back in February, sneaking past 2-0. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
