Softball Game Preview: Inspiration Academy Lions vs. Clearwater Tornadoes

The Inspiration Academy Lions will face off against the Clearwater Tornadoes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Inspiration Academy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.

Inspiration Academy is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Montverde Academy just ended the team's 14-game winning streak on Monday. They fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Lions have suffered since March 22, 2024.

Elle Hildreth

Batters Struck Out

04/14/25 vs Montverde Academy	9
04/10/25 vs Calvary Christian	10
04/08/25 @ Academy of the Holy Names	7
04/04/25 vs Lake Wales	7
04/03/25 vs Bishop Verot	9
+ 2 more games

Elle Hildreth put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run.

In other batting news, Aubrey Osborne was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 14 runs the game before, Clearwater was a bit more limited in their contest on Thursday. They fell just short of Dunedin by a score of 3-2.

Clearwater saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Madelyn Conner, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one RBI.

Clearwater's loss dropped their record down to 11-8. As for Inspiration Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 20-5.