Softball Recap: Melbourne Triumphs

Melbourne extended their postseason success on Thursday against Viera. They had just enough and edged out the Hawks 4-3. This was a revenge game for the Bulldogs: when they faced off against the Hawks back in March, they had to take a 8-5 loss.

Brooklynn Steidl

Batters Struck Out

05/01/25 vs Viera	10
04/29/25 vs Osceola	7
04/23/25 vs Osceola	2
04/21/25 vs Lake Mary	8
04/18/25 @ Rockledge	3
+ 17 more games

Brooklynn Steidl spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up ten Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.1 strikeouts per game.

At the plate, Melbourne saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hailey Cottrill, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. That's the most RBI Cottrill has posted since back in March. Brookelynn Dolin was another, going 2-for-4 with two runs.

Melbourne hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive matchups.

Melbourne's win bumped their record up to 15-12. As for Viera, their defeat dropped their record down to 16-10.

Melbourne and Viera could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Florida Rankings. The Bulldogs (ranked 137th) will meet Palm Beach Gardens (ranked 15th) at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, Viera will face off against Bartow at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday with a big rank disadvantage (96 vs. 28).