Palatka lost against Matanzas back in February, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The Palatka Panthers fell just short of the Matanzas Pirates by a score of 5-4. Palatka has struggled against Matanzas recently, as their matchup on Tuesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Cole Cumbus was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off only two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Jace Akers was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI. Another player making a difference was Tanner Ortiz, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
On Matanzas' side, Josh Cope made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Cope was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three RBI and a double.
In other pitching news, Seth Avellar looked comfortable as he pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk).
Cope wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Wiley Conner, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Palatka's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 7-12. As for Matanzas, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-9.
Palatka will head out on the road to face off against Tocoi Creek at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Matanzas, they will be playing at home against Father Lopez at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Matanzas is facing Father Lopez at the right time seeing as Father Lopez is stuck on a six-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
