Williston is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Crystal River is on a nine-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Red Devils will welcome the Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Williston is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Williston is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Gainesville just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They lost 13-7 to the Hurricanes.
Jayla Coleman stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Luna Asencion, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous three contests, Crystal River brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Yulee a 10-0 shutout on Saturday. The Pirates might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by six runs or more this season.
Violet Flynn made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 14 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Athena Childs, who scored three runs while going 2-for-2. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Brooklyn Tidwell, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Crystal River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive matches.
With the win, Crystal River broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 13-4. As for Williston, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-6.
Williston's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Red Devils have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Crystal River, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Williston continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
