Softball Game Preview: Matanzas Pirates vs. Niceville Eagles

The Matanzas Pirates will take on the Niceville Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Matanzas is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 15 games.

Matanzas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Middleburg 2-1. That's two games straight that the Pirates have won by just one run.

LEAH STEVENS made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 19 over eight innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double.

Meanwhile, Niceville had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it ten on Tuesday. They skirted past the Timberwolves 3-1.

Chloe Bailey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 14 Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kaylee McKissack, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run.

Niceville's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Matanzas, their record now sits at 23-1.

Matanzas might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Niceville when the teams last played back in April of 2016. Can the Pirates avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.