Softball Game Preview: Lemon Bay Manta Rays vs. Booker Tornadoes

The Lemon Bay Manta Rays will face off against the Booker Tornadoes at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Lemon Bay is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.

Last Wednesday, Lemon Bay came up short against Riverdale and fell 5-2.

Reagan Altieri put in work while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off ten hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one double.

Altieri wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cassidy Silvia, who went 1-for-3 with one run.

Meanwhile, Booker got the win against Gibbs two weeks ago by a conclusive 27-2. Considering the Tornadoes have won four contests by more than 11 runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

Eunique Bethal was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with ten stolen bases and four runs. Another player making a difference was Makenzie Poppa, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and three runs.

Booker always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .909. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

The victory got Booker back to even at 5-5. As for Lemon Bay, they now have a losing record of 9-10.

Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lemon Bay hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. However, it's not like Booker struggles in that department as they've averaged .487. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Lemon Bay took their win against Booker in their previous meeting back in March of 2023 by a conclusive 28-0 score. Will the Manta Rays repeat their success, or do the Tornadoes have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.