vs
| 04/18/19 - Away | 11-0 W |
| 04/25/18 - Home | 7-4 W |
| 03/15/18 - Away | 8-6 W |
| 04/21/17 - Away | 6-4 W |
| 03/16/17 - Home | 9-1 W |
Manatee is a perfect 5-0 against Bayshore since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Hurricanes will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bruins at 12:00 p.m. Manatee's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Bayshore's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Manatee's last matchup with Palmetto could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's game on Friday. The Hurricanes lost 8-1 to the Tigers. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Hurricanes couldn't push the score so high this time.
Manatee got a good showing from Malachi Cleto, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Cleto has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single hit in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Manatee saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ashton Hovda, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Bayshore got the win against Gibbs on Thursday by a conclusive 18-2. The result was nothing new for the Bruins, who have now won five matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Henrique Perdomo made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Perdomo was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3. Bayshore is 5-1 when Perdomo posts two or more runs, but 4-6 otherwise.
In other batting news, Kaylam Rodriguez was a standout: he scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Carsen Smalley, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple.
Bayshore kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Bayshore's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-7. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Manatee, they have been struggling recently as they've lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 13-8 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Manatee has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bayshore struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Manatee took their victory against Bayshore in their previous meeting back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 11-0 score. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do the Bruins have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
