The Mainland Buccaneers will take on the Belleview Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Mainland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.3 runs per game this season.
Mainland took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Everything went their way against Orlando Christian Prep as they made off with a 12-1 win. The Buccaneers haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Jordan Payne
| 04/11/25 vs Orlando Christian Prep | 6 |
| 03/31/25 @ Deltona | 4 |
| 03/06/25 vs Seabreeze | 4 |
| 02/27/25 @ Seabreeze | 4 |
| 02/13/25 vs Crescent City | 9 |
Jordan Payne was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in February. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Helmut Waters and Ryan Allen did most of the damage at the plate: Waters went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI, while Allen scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. Waters is becoming a predictor of Mainland's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 4-8 when he doesn't). Angelo Carollo was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Mainland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Belleview narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Matanzas 3-2.
Belleview saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Shea Young, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Mainland's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-8. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.7 runs over those games. As for Belleview, they now have a winning record of 12-11.
Belleview's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Mainland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .463. It's a different story for Belleview, though, as they've only averaged .352. Will they be able to contain Mainland's hitters? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
