Softball Game Preview: Melbourne Bulldogs vs. Oviedo Lions

The Melbourne Bulldogs will head out to square off against the Oviedo Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Melbourne is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.

Melbourne will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Monday, then bounced right back against Palm Bay on Wednesday. Melbourne was the clear victors by a 20-0 margin over Palm Bay. The game marked the Bulldogs' most dominant victory of the season so far.

Layna Ayala was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Hailey Cottrill was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

Melbourne hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Palm Bay struck out seven times.

Meanwhile, Oviedo was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their 11th straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Lake Howell, falling 8-1.

Maile Dunn spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and four unearned) runs on five hits.

Melbourne has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to hits: they averaged an imposing nine hits in those games compared to only 3.5 in the others. Oviedo's defeat dropped their record down to 0-9.

Oviedo's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Melbourne has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. It's a different story for Oviedo, though, as they've only averaged .274. Will they be able to contain Melbourne's hitters?

Melbourne beat Oviedo 5-0 in their previous meeting back in April of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Melbourne since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.