Softball Game Preview: Zephyrhills Bulldogs vs. Wiregrass Ranch Bulls

Zephyrhills hasn't had much luck against Wiregrass Ranch recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bulldogs will challenge the Bulls at 7:00 p.m.

Things were looking good for Zephyrhills after they put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Auburn Riverside by a score of 6-5.

Melanie Moreno was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That home run was her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Rivera, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Wiregrass Ranch had already won 11 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.9 runs) and they went ahead and made it 12 on Thursday. They blew past the Wildcats 13-2. Considering the Bulls have won seven games by more than eight runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

The team relied heavily on Aubrey Zechmann, who scored four runs and stole five bases while going 4-for-4. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played. Kayla Valentin was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.

Wiregrass Ranch was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .448. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .345 or higher in four consecutive matches.

Wiregrass Ranch's win was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Zephyrhills, their loss dropped their record down to 3-9-1.

Zephyrhills might still be hurting after the 17-2 defeat they got from Wiregrass Ranch when the teams last played back in March. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.