The Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers will take on the Sebastian River Sharks at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Thursday, Melbourne Central Catholic sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Bayside. That's two games straight that the Hustlers have won by just one run.
Lilly Rollinger spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Madelynn Prayto, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Melbourne Central Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bayside struck out eight times.
Meanwhile, Sebastian River put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 5-2 win over Treasure Coast.
Kiera Carow was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off eight hits. Carow was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one double, and one RBI. What's more, she posted three hits, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Layla McKinney was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. McKinney is also crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's stole at least one every time she's taken the field this season. Rily Biggers was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Melbourne Central Catholic's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Sebastian River, their win bumped their record up to 3-0.
Melbourne Central Catholic suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Sebastian River in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Melbourne Central Catholic avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
