Softball Game Preview: Gateway Eagles vs. Cypress Lake Panthers

The Gateway Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Cypress Lake Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Gateway has now lost seven straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since March 11.

Gateway lost 11-4 to Cape Coral on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Cypress Lake, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. Everything went their way against East Lee County on Tuesday as they made off with a 15-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Jaguars: they've now won five in a row.

Audrina Westland made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, two triples, and three runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in February.

In other batting news, Baylee Spano was incredible, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Mackenzy Stouffer, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Cypress Lake always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .654. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Cypress Lake pushed their record up to 6-12 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Gateway, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-11.

Gateway beat Cypress Lake 17-14 in their previous matchup back in February. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.