Lakewood Ranch has gone 8-2 against Manatee recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:00 p.m. Lakewood Ranch is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Lakewood Ranch turned things around against Cardinal Mooney last Friday. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Cougars.
Lexi Meneely was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (five). She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Kendal McCoy
| 03/14/25 vs Cardinal Mooney | 3 |
| 02/27/25 vs Braden River | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Parrish Community | 1 |
| 03/06/25 @ Palmetto | 1 |
| 03/04/25 @ Lake Placid | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kendal McCoy, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (three). Another player making a difference was Ainsley McCoy, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one triple.
Lakewood Ranch kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Manatee was not able to break out of their rough patch last Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They fell 9-4 to North Port.
Mercedes VanTassel made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jenna Caldwell, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Lakewood Ranch's victory bumped their record up to 4-7. As for Manatee, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.
Manatee's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lakewood Ranch has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Manatee, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Lakewood Ranch's sizable advantage in that area, Manatee will need to find a way to close that gap.
Lakewood Ranch might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from Manatee in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Will Lakewood Ranch 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.
