The Umatilla Bulldogs will challenge the Hernando Leopards at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Umatilla has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Umatilla is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past South Sumter 3-2.
Keegan St. Amant spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits.
Nick Sande
| 05/01/25 vs South Sumter | 2 |
| 03/13/25 vs Bradley Central | 2 |
| 03/07/25 @ Mount Dora | 2 |
| 03/03/25 @ Tavares | 2 |
| 02/14/25 vs Mount Dora | 2 |
| + 14 more games |
At the plate, Nick Sande was incredible, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Umatilla is undefeated when Sande posts two or more runs, but 13-14 otherwise.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Hernando made sure to put some runs up on the board against The Villages Charter on Thursday. The Leopards walked away with an 11-8 victory over the Buffalo. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Leopards.
Reagan Wilkes looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Eric O'Dell, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run. Another player making a difference was Landon Euler, who went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Hernando lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Umatilla has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-14 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hernando, their victory bumped their record up to 18-14.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Umatilla has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hernando struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
