The Osceola Warriors will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Dunedin Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Osceola 3.5, Dunedin 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Osceola is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to ten runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Wesley Chapel on Friday. They fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 3-2.
Brock Golden was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Osceola saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Connor Daly, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Dunedin has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.4 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They fell 10-6 to Tarpon Springs. The Falcons' defeat continues a trend for the squad, making it three in a row.
Demetris Tsesmelis was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he pitched four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Dunedin's loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Osceola, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Osceola has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Dunedin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Osceola couldn't quite finish off Dunedin in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 and fell 5-3. Will Osceola have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
