Softball Preview: Port Charlotte Pirates vs. Hardee Wildcats
Port Charlotte is 0-6 against Hardee since March of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Port Charlotte Pirates will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hardee Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Port Charlotte is headed into the matchup fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Oasis with a sharp 16-1 victory on Monday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Port Charlotte with their most commanding win of the season.
Alexis Puga was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single hit, only one earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Puga was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and a double while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Port Charlotte let Jaylin Pinedo and Brianna Weidner loose on the outfield. Pinedo went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Weidner scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Gia Greaves, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Hardee entered their tilt with Manatee with 11 consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with 12. They were the clear victor by an 11-2 margin over the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Hardee might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won six games by six runs or more this season.
Like Port Charlotte, Hardee also got a great game from a two-way player: Alexandra Herrera. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off eight hits. Herrera has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive pitching appearances. Herrera was also big at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Marti Edenfield, who scored four runs while going 2-for-3. Mady Tyson was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
Port Charlotte's win ended an eight-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-13. As for Hardee, they pushed their record up to 15-2 with that victory, which was their eighth straight at home.
Port Charlotte suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to Hardee in their previous matchup on Friday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Herrera, who pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Now that Port Charlotte knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
