Softball Game Preview: Matanzas Pirates vs. Atlantic Coast Stingrays

The Matanzas Pirates will take on the Atlantic Coast Stingrays at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Matanzas is coming into the game hot, having won their last eight games.

Matanzas barely beat Providence School the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Pirates were the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over the Stallions last Tuesday. Considering the Pirates have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Matanzas got a great performance from LEAH STEVENS as she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over 5.1 innings pitched. STEVENS has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on JULIET FOGEL, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was ASHLEY SAMPSELLE, who scored three runs while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Atlantic Coast's offense. They fell 5-0 to Nease on Tuesday. The Stingrays have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Matanzas pushed their record up to 16-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Atlantic Coast, their loss dropped their record down to 18-4.