Softball Game Preview: St. Francis Sharks vs. Carmel Padres

The St. Francis Sharks will challenge the Carmel Padres at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

St. Francis came up short against Pajaro Valley on Friday, falling 26-9. The Sharks have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Carmel had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 19-15. The game was the first time the Padres have beaten the Mustangs on their field since March 30, 2022.

The team relied heavily on Lily Beals, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 6-for-6. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Avery Houston was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.

Carmel hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most two strikeouts in three consecutive games.

Carmel pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.3 runs over those games. As for St. Francis, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-2.

St. Francis might still be hurting after the 13-2 loss they got from Carmel in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Will St. Francis have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.