Softball Preview: Florence Huskies vs. Rocky Ford Meloneers
Florence is 0-10 against Rocky Ford since October of 2017 but things could change on Thursday. The Florence Huskies will be staying on the road to face off against the Rocky Ford Meloneers at 4:00 p.m. One thing working in Florence's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.
While Florence didn't have the best season last year (they finished 0-23), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They blew past Platte Canyon 18-2 on Saturday. Considering Florence has won five games by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Addison Dalton and Kendra Steffenson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Dalton tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Steffenson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Dalton has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts every time she's pitched this season. At the plate, Dalton went 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and three doubles, while Steffenson scored a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Claire Bosley was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Makala Miller, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Florence was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .440. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Rocky Ford had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 13 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They came out on top against the Cowboys by a score of 6-3.
Like Florence, Rocky Ford also got a great game from a two-way player: Leticia Garcia. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). Garcia was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
In other batting news, Ashlynn Berg was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. Kamil Lovato was another key player, going 2-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
Florence is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2-1 record this season. As for Rocky Ford, their record now sits at 9-5-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Florence has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rocky Ford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.5. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Florence might still be hurting after the 18-2 defeat they got from Rocky Ford when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Can Florence avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
