The River Ridge Royal Knights will head out to face off against the Land O' Lakes Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. River Ridge is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
River Ridge made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Hudson, but they still couldn't quite topple them. River Ridge was the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over Hudson on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Royal Knights.
Braden Leach
| 03/04/25 @ Hudson | 6 |
| 03/26/24 @ Central | 5 |
| 02/27/24 @ Cypress Creek | 4 |
| 04/16/24 @ Largo | 3 |
| 02/20/25 vs Wesley Chapel | 2 |
Braden Leach looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Jager Golden was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. River Ridge is undefeated when Golden posts two or more runs, but 0-3 otherwise. Jack French also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
River Ridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Land O' Lakes didn't have quite enough to beat Sunlake on Tuesday and fell 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Gators have suffered against the Seahawks since April 23, 2018.
Nick Schwartz was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts any time he's pitched this season.
River Ridge now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Land O' Lakes, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. River Ridge has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Land O' Lakes struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
River Ridge came up short against Land O' Lakes in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 6-3. Can River Ridge avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
