Softball Game Preview: Riverview Sharks vs. Sumner Stingrays

The Riverview Sharks will head out on the road to face off against the Sumner Stingrays at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Neither Riverview nor Sumner posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Riverview fell victim to Plant City and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Raiders, falling 10-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Sharks have suffered against the Raiders since April 23, 2018.

Riverview saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kylie Freeland, who went 1-for-2 with one double. Another was Kara McGuire, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with two stolen bases.

Meanwhile, Sumner suffered their closest loss since May 9, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of Newsome by a score of 2-0. The game marked the first time this season in which the Stingrays were not able to get on the board.

Victoria Baker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up six Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024.

Sumner's defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 5-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Riverview, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Riverview has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Sumner struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Riverview might still be hurting after the 10-3 defeat they got from Sumner in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can Riverview avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.