Softball Recap: Italy Now 8-1 over Last Nine Games

Gladiators

Margin (Wins)

04/04/25 @ Meridian	25
03/07/25 @ Ellison	18
03/28/25 @ Frost	16
03/14/25 @ Hico	16
02/27/25 vs Carter-Riverside	16

Italy won the last time they faced Meridian and things went their way on Friday too. The Gladiators put the hurt on the Yellowjackets with a sharp 27-2 victory. The result was nothing new for the Gladiators, who have now won 11 matches by eight runs or more so far this season.

Kacey Stewart spent all three innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on two hits.

At the plate, Addy Slovak was a standout: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with six stolen bases, four runs, and four RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last nine games she's played. Another player making a difference was Charlea Padilla, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs.

Italy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .763. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Meridian only posted an OBP of .214.

Italy has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 21.0 runs over those games. As for Meridian, their loss was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-9.

Coincidentally, Italy and Meridian will both be playing Frost the next time they take the field. The Yellowjackets will head out to face the Polar Bears at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, while the Gladiators will host them at 5:00 p.m. on the 15th.