Softball Game Preview: Lake Placid Dragons vs. Winter Haven Blue Devils

The Lake Placid Dragons will face off against the Winter Haven Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Lake Placid's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Winter Haven has been banged up by eight consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Lake Placid fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Okeechobee on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Brahmans by a score of 10-9. While the Dragons didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Brahmans 5-0 in the first period.

Hadlee Prescott was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Paige Person, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

Winter Haven had taken Lake Gibson down for three straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Wednesday. The Blue Devils lost 20-6 to the Braves.

Cameron Shelby made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Stephanie Dye, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.

Winter Haven's loss dropped their record down to 3-14. As for Lake Placid, they now have a losing record of 10-11.

Winter Haven's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lake Placid has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. It's a different story for Winter Haven, though, as they've only averaged .306. Will they be able to contain Lake Placid's hitters?

Lake Placid couldn't quite finish off Winter Haven in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 and fell 6-4. Can the Dragons avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.