Softball Game Preview: Pace Patriots vs. Doral Academy Firebirds

The Pace Patriots will face off against the Doral Academy Firebirds at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Pace sitting on nine straight wins and Doral Academy on 12.

Pace is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They never let Parrish Community get on the board and left with a 2-0 victory. The Patriots' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last four games.

Hannah DeMarcus

Batters Struck Out

05/23/25 vs Parrish Community	13
05/15/25 vs Navarre	9
05/13/25 vs Oakleaf	20
05/08/25 vs Fletcher	14
05/01/25 vs Navarre	14
+ 20 more games

The result came thanks to Hannah DeMarcus's shutout, as she gave up just a hit and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in 25 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Pace's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Abby McLean, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Meanwhile, Doral Academy posted their closest victory since April 10th on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over Bloomingdale.

Meagan Villazon spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on five hits.

On the hitting side, Sarah Breaux was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Zoey Abdullah, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Pace's record now sits at 24-3. As for Doral Academy, their record is now 30-1.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pace has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 16 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Doral Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 11.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.