The Hernando Leopards will venture away from home to take on the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Hernando put up the most runs they have all season on Tuesday. They never let Springstead get on the board and left with a 17-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Leopards, who have now won seven contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Cadyn Williams looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
Kaine Ellis
| 03/10/26 vs Springstead | 4 |
| 02/28/26 vs Nature Coast Tech | 3 |
| 02/19/26 @ South Sumter | 3 |
| 04/29/25 @ The Villages Charter | 3 |
| 04/24/25 vs North Marion | 3 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kaine Ellis, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run and six RBI. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Billy Ward, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one double.
Hernando always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .742. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic got the win against Anclote on Tuesday by a conclusive 10-0. That looming 10-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Hurricanes yet this season.
The result came thanks to Colton Atkins's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up six Ks. Those six strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
At the plate, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic got a big performance out of Steele Thalleen, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI. Conner McGuire also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hernando, their record now sits at 8-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hernando has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bishop McLaughlin Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hernando came out on top in a nail-biter against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic when the teams last played back in March of 2025, sneaking past 8-6. Do the Leopards have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hurricanes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
