The Apopka Blue Darters will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lake Brantley Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Apopka came into Monday's match having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Dr. Phillips a 15-0 shutout on Monday. The victory was just what Apopka needed coming off of a 9-2 loss in their prior contest.
Sarah Sosa made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (she also only allowed one walk). Sosa has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive pitching appearances. Sosa was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Taylor Smith was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. Sydney Bartkin was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Lake Brantley entered their tilt with Lake Howell with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Silver Hawks 1-0.
The team relied heavily on Auriana Turner, who went 1-for-3 with a home run.
Apopka's victory ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 3-10. As for Lake Brantley, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-4 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Apopka has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Lake Brantley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Apopka came up short against Lake Brantley in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, falling 4-1. Can Apopka avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
