Softball Recap: Santa Fe Picks Up Seventh Consecutive Win

Raiders

Previous Games

03/28/25 @ Palatka	8-0
03/25/25 vs Suwannee	16-1
03/13/25 @ Bartram Trail	4-0
03/12/25 @ The Villages Charter	6-4
03/11/25 @ Williston	13-1
+ 2 more games

Santa Fe had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.2 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Palatka Panthers an 8-0 shutout. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Raiders also won the last time the pair played back in March of 2024.

Not much got past Makenna Payne, who gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks to keep Palatka off the board. That's the most strikeouts Payne has posted since back in February.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on J'Lyn Guyden, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in February. Another player making a difference was Maren Hornsby, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Guyden wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Santa Fe kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive games.

Santa Fe's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Palatka, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost five of their last six contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season.

Santa Fe will venture away from home to face off against Columbia at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Columbia's pitching crew has only allowed 4.1 runs per game this season, so Santa Fe's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Palatka, they will be taking part in a tournament against Melbourne at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday.